The Night Parade
by wentworth360
Summary: Set in the New 52. Superman and Power Girl. They say nothing good happens after Midnight...
1. Chapter 1

Night Parade

New York – Starr Industries Offices

The rain had finally switched over to snow and a wet heavy layer covered the city. From her office, Karen Starr looked out over the festive scene. Christmas lights twinkled in every direction and mixed with the garish, a blow up Santa flying a helicopter to the understated, single white lights in every window. Here and there she could see last minute shoppers still rushing out to get that final gift.

The office Christmas party had broken up a few hours ago and everyone was gone. The lights were all turned off and Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt played over the sound system. As the boss, she had given everyone the next week off to enjoy the holidays. This was very popular with her staff. At the party they had all told her of their plans. Most were visiting family. Everyone told stories of Christmas' past. There were many laughs and even a few tears as they talked of their memories. It seemed the fondest was of childhood and the excitement of rushing down on Christmas morning to find that special toy under the tree. Karen had smiled along with all of them but hadn't participated.

This wasn't her world and the only other person that knew that was Helena Wayne. They had both been stranded here. Five years had passed and it seemed they were no closer to get home. This world was so similar in many ways, except the key ones. Family and friends weren't the same here as they were back home. They didn't look the same or even act the same. Even their ages were wrong here. While Helena made the best of it, Karen was reluctant to. This business and everything that went with it was just a vehicle to finding her way home. She would leave tomorrow if she had the chance.

They say the holiday season also brings about a quiet depression in many and Karen understood that. Like many she found this a time of reflection. Glancing at her desk she saw the two snow globes that had been her secret Santa presents in the gift exchange. One was of the cityscape, while other was of a sort of idealized rustic scene that was supposed to represent where she was from, she guessed. She reached over and gave it a little shake and watched the imitation snowflakes swirl inside the glass.

Home.

* * *

Metropolis

Clark tapped the snow off his boots as he entered his apartment. Setting the take-out down, he slipped off his wet coat and hung it on a peg. Next came the sweater and the glasses. He moved over to his computer and turned it on. In the distance he could hear Christmas music from multiple sources but he tuned them out just like all the other noise of the city. He wasn't really in the holiday mood. His adopted family, Martha and Jonathon Kent were both dead. The few friends he had were busy with their own family, so he was on his own this holiday just like the last one and the one before.

He had always been something of a loner even at a young age. His abilities precluded most of the normal activities of a teenager. He became something of an observer, the outsider watching everything. It served him well in his chosen profession, journalism. As his computer retrieved all the vital information of the day, he casually went through is mail. It was mostly junk and bills, but there were Christmas cards from Lana, Jimmy and even one from Lois. He smiled as he read them. He needed to thank Bruce again for helping him reestablish his identity as Clark Kent after what appeared to be his demise.

Bruce, the mercurial Batman from Gotham had turned out to be a better friend than Clark would have imagined. When he agreed to join the Justice League five years ago it was because of a common threat. It had worked out well for the planet, so he continued to assist whenever they called. He wasn't close really with any of them. They met so infrequently and mostly when a crisis arose. He certainly had his opinions on all of them.

Barry and Hal had an easy friendship that predated the League. Barry was the more stable of the two, and kept Hal grounded. Hal was the flyboy, the lady-killer or so he though, and he seemed to bring out the risk taker in Barry. They seemed to get under Bruce and Arthur's skin the most, as those two were the authority figures and functional leaders of the group.

Cyborg, or Victor, Clark chastised himself. He had to keep reminding himself to use his real name not his superhero name. He was the youngest and in many ways had the most difficult time of it. He had been transformed overnight into a living, breathing computer. He couldn't turn it off or take it off. Clark had some idea of what that was like to be bombarded constantly by information. It had taken years to learn to control it, while Victor had to do it on the fly.

Arthur was trapped between two worlds, not sure which he fit in. He was a natural leader and knew it. Right from the start he had stepped forward as the spokesman for the Justice League. That was fine with Clark. Governments were still leery of him, if not openly hostile to an alien among them, especially one with Clark's powers. Arthur was also the only married member of the group, which made him seem older so how.

Bruce was a fascinating person, Clark thought. The least powerful of them, basically an ordinary man, yet he charged in to danger without regard for himself. The combinations of demons that drove him would have sent most people to an insane asylum long ago, yet Bruce fought on. It was as if the city of Gotham had chosen him to be its protector. A more dysfunctional city you couldn't find, with more than its share of criminals, mobsters, lunatics and villains. Few of them had superpowers, but it didn't make the city any less dangerous. It was as if inside that bubble that was Gotham, everyone knew their roles and played out some ancient drama between good and evil.

Then there was Wonder Woman. Clark understood her least of all. Her mystical origins, regal nature and unparalleled beauty made her seemed almost ethereal to the eye. Her power and warrior spirit were almost unmatched on the planet. Clark had heard the rumors about them being together but dismissed them just as he knew she had. Because of their abilities they seemed like a natural for media speculation. She was the only woman in a group with six men and one of the most beautiful women in the world, so it was hard for reporters to resist. As a reporter himself, Clark thought they were missing the obvious connection between Diana and Arthur. They seemed to have an affinity for each other, coming from similar backgrounds. He didn't write about the League, but knew if you were going for the gossip angle, Wonder Woman and Aquaman offered the biggest story. The Princess and the Married King had Charles and Diana ratings written all over it.

The guy caught up in all of it was Steve Trevor. Clark kept his distance from him, as he worked for the government, but it wasn't hard to see Trevor was in love with Diana. It was also easy to see she was too new to the world to even know it at the time. Five years in, Clark could still see that Trevor was carrying a torch, but that Diana thought of him as a friend. She'd confirmed this at one their infrequent meetings. Clark had suspected, but was as surprised as the others when she admitted it. Clark knew a little about carrying a torch and even though he didn't particularly like Trevor, he felt sorry for the guy.

The computer dinged and Clark turned his thoughts back to the events of the day. He opened the Chinese food and began to eat as he scanned through the stories. He read everything but kept tabs on the other Kryptonian on the planet, the one they called Supergirl. He'd met her once, but that hadn't gone so well. She had made it pretty clear she wanted nothing to do with him so he'd backed off. That didn't mean he wasn't desperate for information about her. She was his cousin, Kara, actual flesh and blood from a world he would never knew. He hated waiting, but knew she needed some time to adjust to this new world she found herself in. He would be waiting when she wanted to talk.

The chopsticks stopped just before his lips as a news story from Japan came up. It seemed two new superheroes had fought a radiation monster that was bent on destroying Tokyo. It sounded like the plot of a bad 50's movie, but there was video. Clark clicked on the link and sat back and watched. He recognized the one young woman in the dark outfit and mask. He'd read reports of someone called the Huntress stirring things up in Italy, but the other woman drew his attention. She was dressed in a mostly white outfit with a red cape. There was some sort of insignia on her chest, much like his S but off center. The Japanese pressed had dubbed her Power Girl. As he watched her fly across the sky, tear a tower apart with her hands and then hit the monster with such force that it was sent flying into the Tokyo bay, Clark reporter instincts told him there was a story here. The fact that she was gorgeous didn't hurt either.

* * *

New York

Karen looked out at the city skyline and watched the snow fall for a few moments before turning away. It wasn't her skyline. Pushing those melancholy thoughts away she sat down to finish up some last minute paperwork. Tomorrow was just another day for her and she had no plans for celebrating. It wasn't her holiday, so she would probably close up this office and head back to her offices in Micronesia. Maybe some time on the beach would help. The sun and sand, the ocean, those could be from any world, even hers.

As hard as she tried to concentrate on the work, she couldn't help feeling alone and depressed. She kept thinking of her employees at the office party and the smiles on their faces as they told of their plans. She had watched enough holiday movies so she could almost picture the scenes in her mind. The hugs and kisses at the door, the laughter around the dinner table, the opening of gifts and most of all the sharing of memories. It all seemed so beautiful almost like the scene inside the snow globe, but that's where it would remain behind the glass for her.

Helena was God knows where, so Karen felt even more isolated. They would see each other in ten days in Rome, but that wasn't helping right now. Of the two of them, Karen had made a success of her business and outwardly seemed to be adapting the best. That was just a surface illusion. Everything she'd done was with one goal in mind, getting back home. She'd done things she regretted. Chief among them was using Michael Holt, Mr. Terrific. Karen had genuinely liked him, but his data on a quantum tunnel was too vital for what she was doing. Perhaps if this had been her world they would have been at a party together on a night like this, but it wasn't her world.

Helena seemed to be handling the private side of all of this much better than Karen was. While she stayed away from Gotham, Helena had checked out everything about the Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle in this world. It was still a shock that he had another Robin, not his daughter Helena, but the bigger shock was that Bruce and Selina hadn't married in this world.

The difference between here and back home wasn't just the architecture; it seemed to extend to everything, even the ages of the people both of them knew back home. They were all so much younger here, so different than the ones they knew.

Helena had been surprised when Karen told her she wanted nothing to do with this world's Superman or any another of the other heroes she knew back home. He wasn't the Kal that had taken her in when she was sixteen and raised her. He wasn't even much older than she was on this world. Helena had tried to show Karen the articles about the young woman the press was calling Supergirl, but again she wasn't interested in this world's Kryptonians. Helena had finally let it go, but still found it strange.

Karen had told herself it was part of not getting too comfortable here. She didn't want to loose track of what her ultimate goal was, returning home. It was one of the reasons she and Michael would have never worked, as she would be leaving as soon as she could. Curiosity though, was hard to resist. It seemed the papers and television, never mind the web were always filled with stories about the Justice League or the heroes of this Earth. Karen had resisted for almost four years looking, but finally the curiosity got too much. She began looking at the stories on Superman.

He seemed so different than the man she knew back home. Discretely she did some checking and the differences seemed to grow. On this world Clark Kent's parents were already dead. While he was friends and coworkers with Lois Lane, it didn't appear they were married or even dating for that matter. Karen never let Helena see any of this, knowing she would never hear the end of it if she did did, but quietly she read everything she could about Superman and the Justice League on this Earth. Against the differences were striking. Arthur was the leader of the Justice League, not Kal. There were all the other heroes she expected, but Superman was always in the background never front and center. She read the reports on him and the words cocky, arrogant and aggressive seemed to be used. The other words that appeared the most were standoffish, aloof and distant. He was nothing like the man she knew back home and he was so young. It was just another reminder that she was on another world.

God, she thought, now I'm bumming myself out. The Christmas music wasn't helping either. Pushing away from her desk, she straightened her conservative gray suit and headed over to change the channel on the piped in sound system. About half way there she changed her mind. Maybe it was time to leave the city, the snow and the holiday cheer, she thought. She'd been putting it off for the last few hours since the party broke up, but staying here wasn't much better. Might as well just get on with it, she thought.

Retracing her steps she went back to her office and quickly finished the last of the paperwork and then slipped on her coat. She picked up the two snow globes in one hand and smiled. As she was heading towards the elevator, she saw an unopened bottle of champagne and on a whim decided to take it too. She took one last look around and then started for the elevator. It was one of those elevators of glass that was attached the side of the building. The ride down would give her a breath taking view of New York at Christmas time.

The doors opened and Karen stepped inside. She was preoccupied for a moment, looking for her keys as the doors shut behind her. When she looked up, she gasped in shock. Floating outside the elevator was none other than Superman. He smiled at her.

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice another Kryptonian on this planet?"


	2. Chapter 2

First Step

New York

His words seemed to hang in the air between them.

_"Did you really think I wouldn't notice another Kryptonian on this planet?"_

Karen was flustered by his sudden appearance, no doubt, but she pulled herself together enough to respond.

"I don't know what you're talking about.' She managed to reply. She pressed the button for the lobby and looked at him again. "Good bye."

The elevator started moving, but he just floated with it remained just outside the car right in front of her. Karen was getting nervous. She tried not to fidget, but he was right there. He shouldn't be right there. This was not how things were supposed to go. She didn't want any contact with him. She'd been avoiding Metropolis like the plague just so she wouldn't have to deal with this sort of situation. She tried not looking at him, but he was right there. She gave him a quick glance. He looked different from the Kal she knew back home, younger, much, much younger. It wasn't just that, but his whole posture and attitude seemed different. His uniform was different too. She quickly looked away, but knew he'd caught her. Shit, she was trapped in this lousy elevator and unless she wanted to use her powers stuck. If she didn't use her powers, he wouldn't know for sure, she thought, although he probably already did a scan of her so he knew anyway. Whatever, she thought; she couldn't handle this situation or deal with him right now.

"Would you please go away?" She said. 'You're really freaking me out floating out there like that."

"I'm perfectly safe,' he replied.

"Not really what I was worried about' she snidely replied.

"So how long have you been here?"

"None of your business. Go away."

"It must have been awhile, you know the language and obvious have blended in,' he observed.

"Aren't you wanted by the police or something?" She said. "I don't make a habit out of talking to strange floating men wanted by the authorities, so take your crazy talk and go, please."

He laughed and it seemed to light up his whole face. It was so different from all the pictures and videos she'd seen of him since she arrived.

"I saw you in Japan,' he said. " You did a little floating of your own."

"I'd don't know what you're talking about,' she snapped.

"Yes, you do."

"Look, I'm sure this sort of thing impresses lots of women. The whole floating outside their office and all, but I'm not one of them. Victoria Secret has an office a couple of blocks up the street, why don't you try this with them?"

He didn't reply and that only frustrated her.

"Take a hint, I'm not interested. Go away!"

"I guess if I had some technology you wanted to steal like Michael Holt it would be different, wouldn't it?" He said, flashing her mischievous grin.

"Wh-What?" She gasped. How did he know about that? "I don't have any idea what you're taking about."

"Should I ask Mr. Holt?"

She chose not to address his question.

"What are you stalking me? Go away or I'll call the authorities, pal! I mean it!"

"Go ahead."

"You don't think I will? I'm not bluffing,' she said, pulling out her cell phone. He just smiled and continued to float down keeping pace with the elevator.

"Last chance,' she said. He just smiled and gestured for her to go ahead. That pissed her off a bit, so she punched in 911. She'd wipe that smug smile of his handsome face, she thought herself.

"Hello, police? Yes, this is Karen Starr at the Starr Technologies building. ... Yes, that's the one, ah-huh. Anyway, I want to report a stalker bothering me,' she said into the phone. She glared at Superman for a moment as she listened to the officer on the other end. "Well, he's currently floating just outside the elevator I'm riding in. … What? Yes, I said floating, that's right. … No I haven't been drinking for our information and frankly I don't like your tone. … A description? Well, he's Superman. … Yes, that Superman, ah-huh. … Again, no, I didn't have too much punch at the Christmas party, officer! You know your attitude leaves a lot to be desired. I'm a tax payer, I'll have you know and I'm really not happy with the level of service I'm getting. … I'm telling you Superman is stalking me and I want you to send over a SWAT team or the military, whatever you usually send out for these situations. … Okay, well, yes I would agree this probably isn't something you deal with every day. Yes, that's true too, so than could you at least send a car by? … Thank you."

She hung up and looked at him again.

"Feel better now? He asked.

"No, cause you're still here,' she replied. "They're on their way, so I'd advise you to leave now."

"I'm sure I've got a minute or two. So you're from Krypton,' he replied. "How did you get here?"

"Look, this isn't a date!" She said in exasperation. "We are not just getting to know each other over the bread sticks and salad! Go away!"

"Just tell me how you got here."

"None of your business. Now go away!"

He just continued to smile and float along outside the elevator.

"People are starting to stare,' she said, She gestured to some of he pedestrians that were looking up at them. "Would you please leave?"

"You don't seem like the shy type to me,' he observed.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She demanded

"You seemed to like being on the cover of all those magazines,' he suggested. "Karen Starr, and just like her name a rising one in the business world I think one of them said. You've made a big splash in the last few years. So has your friend, Helena, isn't it? The crossbow is an interesting choice. She doesn't like the spotlight quite as much as you do, does she?"

He knew about Helena too, shit and double shit, she thought. Karen didn't like the implication about her and the spotlight either. It was for her business, that's all. She took a step toward him.

"What have you been spying on us? Is that how you get your jollies off?" She demanded. "I never figured you for a weirdo, Superman. You're not one of those creepy guys that cuts out every picture of a woman and makes a shrine to her on his wall, are you?"

He laughed again. She had to admit he looked very handsome when he laughed, well, more handsome than usual. It didn't matter, she told herself; she wanted nothing to do with him. She just wanted him to leave, so she could have some time to think.

"No, shrine, sorry, just reading up on you," he replied.

"Aren't you supposed to be dating Wonder Woman or something,' she fired back. "I doubt she'd like you harassing innocent woman like this."

He laughed again and shook his head.

"Don't believe everything you read,' he replied. "So did you come to Earth at the same time as Supergirl? No, she just arrived and you've been here longer than that. Do you know her?"

The mention of Supergirl reminded Karen of back home and who she used to be. She needed to end this before it went any further.

"Are you going to leave?"

"Not until you answer me."

"Well, unless you want me to start yelling your real name at the top of my lungs, Clark Kent, I think you should leave now."

It was his turn to be surprised. Karen couldn't help a small smile as she saw his expression. Now he knows he's not dealing with just anyone, she thought.

"You aren't the only one that does their homework, Superman,' she added. "Or would you prefer, Clark?

"Um, no, let-let's keep it Superman out here,' he offered. "You'll have to tell me how you figured it out some time."

"Maybe,' she absently offered. "Now I think its time for you to leave. Bye-bye"

"All right, I'll go,' he replied. "I like the white outfit, by the way."

"Thanks."

With another smile, he was off, disappearing into the clouds. She used her enhanced vision to follow him just to make sure he wasn't still hovering further away where he didn't think she could see him. Satisfied he really was gone, Karen took a deep breath and leaned back against the elevator wall.

Shit, Karen thought, Helena is going to freak when I tell her. On second thought, maybe I won't tell her and just freak out for the both of us. This is not good, not good at all.

* * *

(A/N - Just for those that aren't up on the latest reboot, Power Girl and Huntress are now from Earth 2. They got transported to our world by accident and haven't figure out how to get back to theirs.

Also, Superman on our world is younger and something of a loner so far in the reboot. Hope that helps.)


	3. Chapter 3

Volley

Rome – 10 Days Later

The small hotel was near Trajan's Column and well off the usual tourist path. It had a lovely view of the market. The two occupants at the moment weren't really interested in the view. Karen Starr and Helena Wayne were currently having a 'discussion'.

"You know, maybe it's not as bad as it sounds,' Karen offered hopefully.

'Have you lost your mind, Karen?" Helena said accusingly. "You used his real name! It's worse than it sounds."

Karen cringed and shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay, I know, I know, I just sort of panicked," Karen replied. "He caught me off guard. I mean he was literally floating right there in front of me. I just wanted him to leave, so I was grasping at straws."

"And throwing out 'hey, you're real name is Clark Kent' seemed like something that would work?"

"You know you are really starting to sound more and more like your dad,' Karen offered. "Besides, it did work, he left and hasn't been back."

"He will, you know he will,' Helena pointed out. She was pacing back and forth across the room. Her arms were crossed and she was tapping her thumb absently against her lower lip.

"Couldn't you have just told him to fuck off and the get off the elevator on the next floor?"

"Sorry, I'm not used to dealing with men floating outside my elevator,' Karen snidely replied. "That sounds like a great idea in hindsight, Helena, but I panicked, okay?"

"Aren't you supposed to be really smart?" Helena asked, ignoring the snark. "You built this huge company from nothing in less than five years, but one guy floating outside an elevator freaks you out?"

"I know." Karen admitted, as she dropped down into one of the chairs. "I wanted nothing to do with any of them. I don't understand why this happened? You're the one that wants to get caught, not me."

"What?" Helena gasped. "What the hell are you talking about? I don't want to be caught. That's ridiculous."

"You're stealing from this world's Batman, Helena,' Karen countered. "If he's anywhere near as anal as our world's Batman, he's going to catch you."

"Hey, that's my dad you're talking about, remember?" Helena complained. "Besides, my mom taught me everything she knew about getting in and getting out without anyone being the wiser."

"Didn't your dad always catch your mom?" Karen asked. "Isn't that how they first hooked up?"

"He didn't always catch her,' Helena objected. "Some times mom _let_ him catch her, there's a big difference."

Karen just looked at her.

"There is, trust me,' Helena replied.

"You're still going to get caught. Besides stealing from him, you're checking out everything about him,' Karen said. "He's going to notice sooner or later. I think you want to get caught if you want the truth."

"I don't want to get caught, that's isn't it,' Helena snapped.

"Then what is it?" Karen asked.

Helena stopped pacing and turned to look at her friend.

"All you really care about is going home, right?" She asked.

"Yes,' Karen immediately replied.

"Well, have you really thought about it? I mean even if we get home, Karen, they're gone,' Helena sadly said. "They won't be there even if we get back."

"How does that explain you playing fangirl to this world's Batman and Catwoman?"

"I know he's not my Batman, but he's the closest thing I'm going to get,' Helena admitted. "He's younger, but he's still Bruce Wayne. I know she's not my Catwoman, but Selina Kyle's out there too. I'm curious if things will work out here like they did back home."

Karen got up and moved over to her friend and hugged her.

"I miss them too Helena, but these aren't the same people," she whispered. "Robin in this world is he's son, not his daughter. Not you."

"I know,' Helena quietly said. " I do. I still can't believe this Batman let that little prick be Robin. I had to beg and plead forever before he let me by Robin. It's just that with them gone and us here, it's as close as I'm going to get."

"Hey, don't talk like that,' Karen stated. "If I can get this quantum tunnel working, there is a chance we can go back to just before we arrived here. We might be able to change things, Helena, save them."

"You don't know that, Karen,' Helena replied. "I know getting back home is all you think about, but we have to face reality. They're gone and we're here. We have to make the best of it."

Karen pulled back and went over to the window. She stood looking out at the city.

"You really are starting to sound like him more and more."

"If you mean a realist, then I guess I am,' Helena offered.

Neither spoke for a moment, as memories of family and friends came rushing back to both of them. Ever the practical one, Helena returned them to the original topic.

"So what are we going to do about this world's Superman? He's not just going to let it drop,' she said.

"I got us in this mess, I guess I'll just have to handle it,' Karen replied, not turning from the view.

"What's he like?" Helena asked.

"What do you mean?" Karen replied.

"Well, was he wearing that coal miner outfit, you know the jeans and tee shirt?"

"No, he had the regular Superman suit on,' Karen said. "It's different than Kal's, well, he seems different than our Kal."

The way she said it caught Helena's interest.

"How so?"

"Well, he's younger, closer to our age for one,' Karen offered. "It's like Superman and much younger Superman."

"You mean Superboy?" Helena asked.

"No, he's definitely a man,' Karen immediately replied. "Just not the one we know."

"Oh, really? Definitely a man, huh?" Helena teased. "You noticed that even while you were freaking out?"

"Oh, shut up,' Karen snapped. "I'm just saying they are completely different people is all. From what I've read he seems more isolated, more of a loner than Kal on our world. I mean he's not even the leader of the Justice League here, Arthur is."

"I thought you didn't want to know anything about them on this world?' Helena asked.

"I don't."

"Then how do you know so much about him? You didn't mention him telling you about the Justice League when you two talked at the elevator,' Helena pointed out. "And he's a loner? I doubt that came up in your little chat either."

Damn, Karen thought, my best friend would have to be the daughter of the World's Greatest Detective.

"I, um, well, did a little, just a bit, of reading up afterwards,' Karen offered.

"A little reading, huh? You know, maybe I should be the one to talk to him,' Helena suggested. "Give him the 'glare' and put the fear of God into him."

Karen turned and looked at her incredulously.

"The glare? You really are turning into your old man and it's a little scary,' Karen observed.

"That just means I learned it from the best."

Helena demonstrated, flashing the glare at Karen. She stood there for a moment just looking at her friend.

"Stop it, it's just creepy when you do it. I've known you since I was seventeen, it doesn't work on me,' Karen said. "Besides, whatever world it is, he's still Superman. Unless you've got some Kryptonite stashed away, I don't think the 'glare' is going to work on him."

"I could get some," Helena offered. "That would show him we mean business."

"No. I got us into this, I'll handle it, okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll take care of it, you just worry about not getting caught by Batman."

"He won't catch me."

"Sure he won't. This is all your fault though."

"How is it my fault?" Helena asked.

"Helena, you just had to become the Huntress, carrying on your dad's legacy of fighting crime, regardless of what world we're on. If we'd just lain low, this wouldn't have happened. He'd be out looking for that other Supergirl. You even talking me into it and it was that video of us in Japan that got him curious."

"You've been using your powers since day one even without my encouragement,' Helena replied. 'What were we supposed to do, just stand by and do nothing?"

"We could have,' Karen suggested.

"I noticed you didn't need a lot of encouraging when that maniac destroyed your factory,' Helena pointed out. "You jumped right back into saving the world without me saying anything."

"That was different,' Karen objected. "He destroyed the quantum tunneler. I paid a lot of money for it. He deserved a good ass kicking for being such a douche."

"Oh, please, you've been using your powers since we got here,' Helena fired back. "It was just a matter of time before you donned a new uniform."

Karen shrugged reluctantly, not really wanting to admit her friend was right.

"It's still your fault.' Karen whispered under her breath.

"What was that?" Helena asked.

"Nothing."

"Uh-huh." Helena skeptically said and then switched back to the main topic. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you and help deal with him?"

"No, no, I'll handle it,' Karen replied.

"How?"

"I haven't figured that part out yet,' Karen admitted. "I'll think of something."

* * *

JLA Satellite

Clark kept to the background as the others discussed expanding the roster. The government was pushing for them to add members, but so far some were resisting, namely Green Lantern and Arthur. Clark really didn't have an opinion on the matter. He wasn't that close to these six, what would a few more really matter? Of course adding a few more female members might make this less of a sausage fest when they were all together and give Lantern someone else to constantly strike out with. Wonder Woman would probably appreciate the break. You'd think when a woman says no every way possible, including in Ancient Greek, a guy would get the message.

"So what do you think about this, Superman?' Arthur asked.

"Whatever the majority decides is fine with me,' Clark replied.

"Nice, thanks for the input, Superman,' Hal sarcastically said. "You really put the I in team."

"There isn't an I in team,' Wonder Woman pointed out.

"I wouldn't mind being the I on your team Princess,' Hal said with a wink. "If you're interested?"

"No."

Clark mind started to drift as they continued skirmishing between themselves and tried to come to some consensus about what they would tell the government. As it seemed to since that night, his thoughts turned to Karen Starr. She was another Kryptonian, he was sure of that. He realized he'd been a little too overconfident that night when he approached her. He'd been in too big a hurry to make an impression on her and hadn't done his homework. You would have thought he'd learned his lesson with Supergirl, but apparently not.

When she hit him with his real name, Clark nearly lost it. He knew he'd never met her before. You don't forget someone that beautiful. So how did she know his name? He'd been working with these six for five years and only two of them knew. He hadn't told them either, they figured it out on their own. Questions seemed to multiple the more he thought about her. What else did she know about him? That thought worried him. She hadn't done anything so far, but by knowing his secret identity she could cause a lot of problems if she wanted to.

He had a feeling she wouldn't. He couldn't say why, it was just a feeling. Thinking back on that night, she only seemed to want to be left alone. He could understand that. He'd been hunted and chased, captured and tortured since he first started all of this. Why would she want to reveal herself to the world? If he'd been thinking with his head instead of another part of his body, he might have considered that before he went rushing off to meet her.

It wasn't just that she was gorgeous, he thought; it was also that she was like him, a Kryptonian. That was why he'd rushed over when Kara had arrived. Finally he wasn't the only one of his kind. It was such an amazing feeling knowing he wasn't alone, he hadn't considered just how confusing it must have all been for her. One minute she's in Argo City and the next she's on some strange world where she has these unbelievable powers. She doesn't speak the language and no one seems to understand her, then suddenly a guy turns up wearing the same outfit she has on. He says he's her cousin, but the last time she saw her cousin he was still an infant. Of course she would react the way she did. She was a scared young girl waking up in a very strange place. No wonder she wasn't buy anything he was saying.

He had years to get the hang of all of this. He couldn't expect her to adjust in a day or hours. She probably thought he was some evil clone or something. As hard as it was he had to just give her some time to sort things out. He'd still keep tabs on her, but he'd have to let her come to him on her own terms.

"Do you have anything to add before we adjourn, Superman?' Arthur asked.

"No."

"Shocker,' Hal said mockingly.

The other members began to file out, but Batman lingered behind for a moment.

"Are you okay?" He asked. "You seem a little distracted today?"

"What? Oh, no, I'm fine,' Clark replied. "I just have something on my mind."

"It wouldn't have anything to do with your trip to New York last week would it?" Batman asked.

"You heard about that?"

"Yes. So?"

"No, it's just stuff, personal stuff,' Clark offered.

"All right, I've got to get back to Gotham. You know the number,' Batman said and then headed for the exit.

For a moment Clark thought about asking Batman for some help, but quickly dismissed the idea. They had a working relationship and knew each other outside of the League, but they weren't close like that. He could hear Lantern and Flash laughing over some stupid joke in the distance. He sort of envied them their friendship. Sure Hal seemed like a bit of an ass at times, but Barry didn't seem to have a problem with it.

As his mind turned back to his problem with Karen Starr, Clark knew he could use some help. He'd done more digging on her and her back-story seemed solid, but something was off, his reporter instincts told him. He could probably ask Batman, but he seemed pretty occupied at the moment, Owls or something that had to do with Gotham.

Cyborg, no, Victor, Clark corrected himself. Got to start calling him by his name. Unfortunately starting now posed a problem. Clark had long ago noticed that when people who usually don't use your name or even care what it is; start using it, it most often means they want something. They only use it so you'll help them. If he'd figured it out, probably Victor had too. It couldn't be helped, Clark thought, he needed someone with his expertise with computers. Just try to not seem like it's the only reason you're doing it, Clark reminded himself.

* * *

As he headed out of the main conference room and towards the computer lab where Victor spent most of his time, Arthur approached him from another hallway.

"Superman, a word,' Arthur called.

Clark slowed down and waited until Arthur was caught up to him.

"What can I do for you?" Clark asked.

"I just wanted to make sure we're all on the same page as far as this adding members goes,' Arthur explained. "Diana's going to talk to the government liaison in a few moments so I wanted to make sure you're okay with what we decided."

Clark hadn't really been listening to what they'd decided, but there was no reason to let Arthur know that.

"I'm fine with it."

"Good to hear,' Arthur replied. "You rarely voice your opinion and stay in the background, but I want you to know I don't have a problem with you taking a larger role in this."

Clark smiled at this.

"Thanks,' he said. "But I think we should just leave it the way things are. I don't have any problems with you and Wonder Woman being out front."

"Diana,' Arthur said.

"Excuse me?"

"Her name is Diana."

Clark stopped and looked at Arthur.

"I know what her name is,' Clark replied.

"But you never use it,' Arthur pointed out.

"I was trying to be polite,' Clark offered.

"I'm sure you were, but she doesn't have a secret identity to protect. In the same way I don't,' Arthur replied. "You use my name, but never hers. It might be 'polite' to start."

Clark looked at him for a moment.

"It's just a suggestion,' Arthur added.

"I get your point and I'll keep it in mind,' Clark said.

"You could also offer an opinion now and then at the meetings,' Arthur suggested.

Clark smiled and dipped his head for a second before looking back into Arthur's eyes.

"I know what you're saying is your way of getting me to be more of a team player, Arthur," Clark began. "But I don't think that's such a good idea. They aren't worried about you, any of you. They're worried about me. I'm the one that makes them nervous, the alien among them. I think the less I deal with the government the better it is for all of us."

"You've proven yourself time and again, Superman,' Arthur replied. "The people have come around to your side, I'm sure the government will too."

"Public opinion can change overnight,' Clark said. "Take Wonder Woman, Diana for an example. The government and the public didn't trust her when she first arrived. It took Steve Trevor and her natural abilities to turn that around. Being associated with me can make all that hard work go away in an instant."

Arthur started to object, but Clark raised his hand to stop him.

"We all understand what we're doing is important,' Clark continued. 'If I had problems with how things were being handled, believe me, I'd tell you. It's working right now, so let's not tempt fate and change things. I have no complains with your leadership. In fact I think you're doing an amazing job."

"Thank you." Arthur said and held out his hand. Clark took it. "If you're satisfied with things as they are, then so be it."

Clark nodded and then moved away, heading towards the computer lab. Arthur watched him for a moment, still a bit surprised. In the five years he'd known Superman that was the most he'd ever spoken. Maybe because of that, his words of praise meant more. Arthur smiled and turned towards the mess hall. By now, Hal and Barry were probably getting into some trouble, so he might as well see if he could head it off.

* * *

As Clark passed the communications room, he glanced in just as Wonder Woman was establishing contact with the government liaison, Steve Trevor.

"Hello, Steve,' she said with a smile.

"Hello, Diana!"

With just a glance at the way Trevor's face lit up, Clark knew the man was still hopelessly in love with Wonder Woman. He was obviously trying to put a brave face on for her, as if nothing had changed between them. Clark imagined she had been as kind as she could in letting him down, but it must have crushed Trevor. Not wanting to interrupt, Clark tried to be as silent as he could walking by. Trevor must have seen him in the corner of the screen, and Diana's eyes followed his.

"Oh, hello, Superman." She said with a smile at seeing him in the hallway.

"Um, hi, um, Wonder Woman, Colonel Trevor,' Clark replied and then quickly moved on. He purposely made sure he didn't listen in on their conversation and hoped he hadn't just make it worse for Steve than it already was.

* * *

Clark arrived at the computer room and found Victor huddled over some equipment. He looked up when the door opened.

"Superman, is there something I can do for you?"

"Yes," Clark replied. "I was hoping you could help me with something, Victor."

Cyborg seemed surprised at Clark using his real name.

"Certainly, Superman."

Clark moved into the room and the door shut behind him. The look on Victor's face told him everything he needed to know.

"Look, we already know you know who I am,' Clark offered. "So there's really no need for us to continue calling each other Cyborg and Superman. At least not when we're alone, that is. I'm Clark, Victor."

He offered his hand and a rather surprised Victor accepted it.'

"Vic,' he said.

"Excuse me?" Clark replied.

"Only my dad and Diana call me Victor, everyone else calls me, or used to call me Vic."

"Vic then,' Clark said with a smile. Vic returned it.

"So what can I help you with, Clark?" He asked. Clark had to chuckle, but then moved on.

"I've been doing some computer research and I could use an expert eye,' Clark explained.

"Okay, was there something specific or just general research?"

"Do you know who Karen Starr is of Starr Industries?"

Vic's smile suddenly got much wider.

"Yeah, I've got all the magazines she's on the cover of,' Vic replied, and then quickly added. "For the articles about her company."

"Yeah, that's what I tried telling my dad when I was young,' Clark said with a chuckle. "I was only looking at the articles."

"She is actually doing some interesting work,' Vic offered, as he tried not to blush.

"Yes, she is,' Clark replied, letting it go and saving Victor some embarrassment. "I've been doing some background on her and her company and it all looks fine, but something, I can't put my finger on it, something seems off to me."

"Is this part of your campaign against corporate greed and malfeasance? Vic asked.

"No." Clark said with a shake of his head. "There was something between her and Michael Holt's company, but he hasn't pressed charges or made any waves about it. I'm interested more in her background. This isn't League business, so if you don't feel right helping, Vic, I'll understand."

"So it's personal?" Vic asked.

"In a way and I would appreciate it this stayed just between you and me,' Clark replied.

"All right, I'll take a look,' Vic offered. "Is there anything specific you want me to check?"

"Before Starr Industries started mostly,' Clark stated. 'Her bio checks out, but there's something about it that feels almost too perfect, too neat."

"I'll take a look."

Several minutes passed as Vic did his work. Clark didn't want to rush him, so instead he took a look as some of the things Vic was working on. One that caught his attention was a very small hologram projector. It was the size of a quarter and could easily be disguised as a ring or a piece of jewelry. Clark thought about what the use of something like could be and was just coming to a conclusion when Vic's laugh caused him to turn around.

"What?"

"She's good, very good,' Vic said with big smile. "Whichever one of them did this, Karen Starr or her friend, Helena with too many last names to count, they are very good."

"How so?" Clark asked, as he moved back over to Vic.

"You were right, it all checks out,' Vic explained. "It's seamless really, but only the last five years aren't a complete fabrication."

"What?"

"I don't know how they did it, but before five years ago, they didn't exist."

"How is that possible?" Clark asked. "You said yourself if it's on a computer you know about it. How could they not exist before five years ago?"

"That's the million dollar question,' Vic replied. "I don't have an answer to be honest. What I can tell is that whichever one of them created their back-story, she's an artist. It's simple, yet elegant at the same time. Its style is familiar to me, but I can't put my finger exactly why. I reminds me of some of Batman's work, but there's almost a playfulness that his lacks."

'If it's that good, what tipped you off to it being a fake?" Clark asked.

"Just little things around the edges,' Vic explained. "You'd really have to know what you were looking for to see them. Like I said, this is amazing work."

"But if you found it, does that mean someone else could?"

"If they looked hard enough, yes."

Clark thought about this for a few moments and then made a decision.

"Vic, I'm going to ask you for another favor, but if you don't feel right about doing it I'll completely understand,' Clark said.

It was Vic's turn to stare at Clark.

"Okay, what's the favor?"

* * *

Metropolis

Karen stood in front of the building and took a deep breath to steady her nerves. It felt so weird being here, but she'd said she'd deal with it, so she was dealing with it. As far as her plan, well, when in doubt, go with the old reliable, she thought. It worked with Michael Holt, and he's Mr. Terrific, the third smartest man in the world so it should work on Clark Kent.

* * *

Clark was at his desk going over his piece on corporate greed. While average people were losing their life savings, corporate executives were giving themselves bonuses. If it wasn't criminal, it should be, Clark thought. If the government wasn't going to do anything, then he'd put a little heat on the pigs at the trough. Around him most of his coworkers were still talking about the company New Year's party. Clark hadn't gone and hearing about how much fun everyone else had was something he could do without. He tuned out most of the noise around him and concentrated on putting the final touches on his piece.

"Clark Kent."

At the sound of his name, Clark looked up to find Karen Starr standing right in front of him. She was wearing a rather brief and very form fitting white dress. He was so shocked to see her; he immediately started to get up. Unfortunately he hadn't pushed his chair away from his desk, so as he stood the desk began to tip over. He made a desperate grab for his computer and phone before they smashed against the floor. He managed to stop the desk from completely tipping over without using his power, but it made a rather loud thud when it landed back on the floor. What he hadn't been able to stop was all his papers scattering everywhere. He quickly moved to the side of the desk and got down to pick them up. He glanced up and Karen was looking down at him with a smile on her lips. She gestured towards the desk and then to the papers strewn everywhere. Her smile got a little bigger as she looked him in the eye.

"Smooth."


	4. Chapter 4

A Conversation

(Supposedly about one thing, but really about many things.)

Metropolis

Flabbergasted, yes that was the perfect word for what Clark was feeling at the moment. Karen was enjoying his reaction very, very much. It was even better than she'd hoped for. This would teach him to sneak up on me in elevators, she thought.

"How? How did you know I worked …?" Clark stammered, as he collected his papers and looked up at her. Karen leaned forward. Whether it was intentional or not, she gave him a rather nice view of her cleavage. Her smile got just a little bigger as she whispered to him.

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice another Kryptonian on this planet?"

Clark just knelt there for a moment with his arms full of papers. Several emotions passed over his features. Finally he dipped his head then looked back up at her. He pushed his glasses up his nose absently.

"I guess the only think I can say is, Touché."

Karen felt satisfied. She stood up straight and crossed her arms in front of her. As he got up and tried to get all the papers on his desk, she leaned against the edge of his cubicle, still smiling.

"Now you know how it feels to be ambushed,' she offered. "Not cool, Clark."

Payback's a bitch, Clark thought, or in this case a gorgeous blonde in an amazing dress.

"I apologize, okay? I'll admit I was a little excited when I found out about you. I probably could have handled it better," he said.

"You think? You scared the crap out of me,' Karen replied.

"Again, I apologize,' he said. "Can we start over? I'm Clark Kent. I'll pretend you don't already know that and probably a lot more about me."

"I do,' Karen replied. She extended her hand to him. "I'm Karen Starr, Clark. I imagine you think you know more about me than you really do."

"Maybe I'll surprise you," he said with a smile. Karen's eyes opened a little wider.

"What is that a challenge or a threat?" She asked. "I have to tell you, I don't deal well with threats."

"It' a challenge." He raised his hands. "I come in peace, I promise."

"That's what all the aliens say,' she replied. "At first."

He couldn't help laughing and she joined him. He was about to say something else when he noticed they, well more accurately she was drawing a lot of attention from the others in the newsroom.

"Um, it's always lunchtime, could we go some place else and talk?" He suggested.

Karen heard the whispers too. She hadn't really planned on prolonging this meeting, but didn't want to compromise his secret identity either. The truth was she hadn't really thought much further in her plan than showing up at his workplace. Things usually took care of themselves when she used this plan in the past. Well, lunch wouldn't be so bad, she thought. I can get the message across in private and then be done with this.

"I guess we could grab a quick bite,' she replied.

"Great. Let me just get a couple of files and we can go."

Clark looked at the mess on top of his desk. He'd worry about it later, this was too important. He opened the bottom left hand drawer and pulled two files out and stuck them in his valise.

"All set."

Karen turned and he escorted her back towards the elevators.

* * *

Lois Lane came barreling out of her office and ran smack into the backs of Steve Lombard and Jimmy Olsen. She stumbled and nearly fell before righting herself.

"What am I the only one working around her?" She complained.

"It looks like Kent's doing a little working too,' Lombard replied with a smirk. Lois looked at him and then followed his gaze to see Karen standing by the elevator with Clark.

"Who's the dish?" She asked.

"I think Clark hired himself a high class escort,' Lombard offered.

"Then he's making a lot more money than I thought,' Jimmy added. "A lot more money. I should ask for a raise."

"It's lunchtime?" Lois said.

"Maybe he's interested in a little afternoon delight,' Steve said with a grin. "Or maybe he's just taking her to lunch as part of his strategy."

"You think he hired a call girl to go to lunch with him?" Lois replied. "Why would anyone do something that stupid?"

"Get's the word out that he's a player,' Lombard explained. "Works every time. The ladies see you with a looker like her and suddenly they come flocking around like flies."

"You're an idiot, that word's already out. How did you ever become a reporter?" Lois asked. "First that was a mixed metaphor and second only a douchebag like you would think of something like that."

"What are you jealous because it works?" He asked.

"So does a flush toilet,' she replied. Lois turned her attention to Jimmy and snapped her fingers in front of his face. He blinked and then turned to look at her.

"Who is she?"

"Gorgeous,' Jimmy blurted out immediately.

Lois frowned and rolled her eyes.

"Thanks, does gorgeous have a name?" Lois asked impatiently.

"Ok, right, she's Karen Starr of Starr Industries,' Jimmy explained as he tried not to blush. Jesus, Lois must think I'm a douche like Steve now for blurting out gorgeous. Luckily Steve saved him.

"Rich and beautiful? That's my kind of gal!"

"Gal?" Lois questioned.

"What? Not PC?' Steve replied. "Dame? Broad? Skirt? Piece of trim? What's acceptable these days with you girls?"

"E, none of the above, ass wipe,' Lois fired back. "That you've actually gotten laid is really a testament to the power of alcohol, Steve."

"What have you been studying my moves?" He said with a smirk.

Lois gave him a snide look.

"Isn't there a bus you could be stepping in front of right now?"

* * *

Outside

Karen and Clark sat in a sidewalk café. It was a little more upscale than Clark would have like, but Karen pointed out she wasn't dressed for sitting in the park eating hot dogs. As they sipped their ice tea and ordered, Clark stole a glance at her. She looked amazing, dressed to the nines and had turned every head on the walk here. As excited as he was to actually talk to another Kryptonian, he had to wonder why she went all out. From their brief meeting at the elevator she had given him the distinct impression she wanted nothing to do with him. His reporter instincts wondered if there wasn't more to this visit than just a little pay back for ambushing her. He certainly hoped not, but would keep his guard up just in case.

Karen finished ordering and sat back as the waitress walked away. She took a sip of her ice tea, glanced at him and then looked around at the city. The subtle differences between this Metropolis and her Metropolis greeted her eye at every turn. She felt that familiar pang of homesickness, but pushed it away. She needed to focus on this meeting with him. She gave him another quick glance. It felt strange to be sitting here with him. It was almost a sense of déjà-vu being in this place with this man. Like the city though, she saw the differences in him too. It wasn't just the age disparity between this Clark Kent and the one she knew back home, either. In some ways the contrast between the two men was even more striking than the two cities.

They weren't the same man despite the name she reminded herself. The Clark back home was her flesh and blood, her family. The Clark sitting in front of her was no relation at all. She was Alice and had stepped through the looking glass. Funhouse mirror reflections of the familiar greeted her at every turn. Some were so similar to the ones she knew. The temptation to give in to the illusion was very tempting. Karen wanted to believe, but that only made her need to get back home all the more urgent. If she needed a reminder that this wasn't her world, she need only glance across the table.

She had two goals in mind for this meeting. One was to dissuade him from any further contact with her. That was the primary goal. She had been so careful up till now to not form any attachments to anyone in this world. She didn't need that complication. Her second reason was to keep him from poking his nose into her company. She'd read most of his articles in preparation for today and knew he was something of a crusader against corporate malfeasance. He already knew something of her contact with Michael Holt and she didn't need Clark digging any deeper.

So the basic message she wanted to get across today was leave my company and me alone. Forget you ever heard of me and soon enough it won't be an issue. She would just disappear back to where she was from.

Clark waited until the waitress had left and they had some privacy before he asked his first question.

"You're Kryptonian?"

"Yes, but you already knew that,' she replied.

"Still to hear you actually say it finally makes it real somehow."

'O-Okay,' she said. She could see the emotions just below the surface plainly on his face. She'd almost forgotten how big a deal this must be for him. Until recently he believed he was the last of his kind. She had been raised on Krypton and then arrived on her Earth when she was sixteen. Her Kal had taken her in and along with is wife Lois had been her adopted family. She never understood what it must be like to believe you were so alone until she arrived here. Even then Helena was with her. If the Kent's were already dead on this Earth that meant he'd been alone for some time. No wonder he seemed so isolated. No, no, don't go there, she chastised herself, don't start, just stay focused on what you're here for.

"So how did you get here?' He asked.

"I flew."

He smiled.

"Long flight."

"Yes, it was." She replied.

"Did your friend Helena make the flight with you?"

She paused, taking another sip of her tea before responding.

"I thought you were interested in me, Clark?"

"I am, but I'm interested in a lot of things,' he replied.

"Well, I'm not going to discuss anything about Helena,' Karen stated. She leaned forward. "I guess you'll just have to settle for talking to me."

She flashed him a small smile that was equal parts flirting and challenging.

"I guess I can live with that."

"Good, cause that's all you're going to get today,' she replied.

"I wasn't really expecting more."

"Even better."

The waitress brought their food and they were silent as she placed it in front of them. After refilling their glasses she moved on to another table.

"So why today?' He asked, as he started in on his club sandwich.

"What do you mean?" She asked around a mouthful of her Cobb salad.

"I thought you made it pretty clear you wanted me to stay away from you,' he replied. "I mean you called the cops and everything."

"Sorry about that,' she offered.

"I'm used to it," he said with a shrug. "So why today?"

She finished chewing and sat back.

"Call it a hunch,' she said. "I had a feeling you weren't going to let it go."

"Good hunch."

Karen looked at him as he continued eating. She picked up her fork and stabbed another portion of the salad.

"So what is it you want, Clark?" She asked, getting to the issue at hand. "What exactly were you expecting to happen when you came to New York?"

"Honestly?"

"Please."

"I don't really know,' he admitted. He wiped his lips and took another drink of ice tea. "When I found out about you, I just had this overwhelming urge to met you. That's pretty much as far as I was thinking."

"I guess I should be flattered." She said with a bit of a teasing tone. "I mean it's not everyday Superman shows up outside your elevator."

"You didn't seem very flattered that night,' he countered. "You gave me the impression I was the last person on Earth that you wanted to see."

"Well, you surprised me. What am I supposed to think when a strange man is suddenly floating outside me elevator, huh? You could have been some lunatic or kidnapper, for all I knew."

He smirked at this.

"I really doubt you're worried about lunatics or kidnappers, Karen."

"Girl's got to be careful, it's a dangerous world out there."

"Not for you, though."

"You'd be surprised,' she replied.

"So tell me more about this flight here,' he asked, shifting the topic back.

"Why?"

"It interests me,' he offered. "You've adapted really well. In five years you have a Fortune 500 company. That's pretty impressive in only five years."

Warning bells went off in Karen's head when he said five years. He couldn't know, she told herself, Helena promised it was a perfect back-story. What is he fishing for, she wondered?

"Now you're running around with the elites, moguls like Michael Holt, that's pretty rare air to climb into so fast." He added.

"I guess it's just another American success story,' she replied. He'd mentioned Michael again and now Karen felt on the defensive. "Michael is a friend, that's all."

Karen was stonewalling him on anything to do with how she got here, Clark realized. She said she wanted to talk; yet she wasn't offering any information. It made him rethink why she was here at all. He figured he'd press her a bit about her business and maybe she'd offer something more than just vague replies.

"That's not what the gossip around the business community was,' Clark pointed out.

"You shouldn't listen to gossip, Clark,' she said flatly.

"I don't know, you'd be surprised what you hear,' he replied. "Rumor has it that you and Michael Holt had a falling out. It's all pretty murky, but the word is some technology went missing. Ring a bell, Karen?"

"No, it doesn't,' she countered. "I didn't realize this was an interview, Clark. Are you doing a story on Starr Industries for you column? We've got nothing to hide so you're wasting your time."

"Everyone has something to hide, Karen,' Clark said. "You know that as well as anyone."

She took that as an implied threat and responded in kind. She leaned forward and looked him in the eye.

"Yes, they do, Clark, everyone."

He got her meaning and pushed his plate away from him.

"Which gets us right back to the question of why you're here, Karen? The dress, the unannounced drop in where I work, it makes me wonder why?"

This wasn't going the way she wanted. She realized she had been expecting him to react like the Clark she knew back home, but he wasn't. He was young and cocky, trying to put her on the spot. She wanted to reach over and wipe that smirk off his handsome face.

"So you want me to put my cards on the table, is that it?" She asked.

"That would be a nice change,' he replied.

She pushed her plate away from her and leaned closer. He absently leaned towards her as well.

"I came here to ask, no, to tell you to leave me and my company alone," Clark, she whispered. "Whatever ideas you might have had about us, forget them. In fact, forget me and we'll get alone fine. Is that plain enough for you, Clark?"

She was pissed, that was obvious. He'd only meant to challenge her a bit to get her to open up a little to him. He'd pushed her too hard and screwed it up again.

"Yes, that was plain enough,' he replied. He sat back, angry with himself for letting things get to this point.

"Than I think we're done here."

She started to get up and leave, but he raised his hand to stop her.

"What?"

"Please, just another minute, okay?" He asked her. "Please?"

"Give me one good reason,' she said, still not sitting down.

"I have something for you,' he replied. He reached for his valise and pulled out the two folders. "I wanted to give you these."

"What are they?" She asked, as he handed her the folders.

"Just something that should help,' he quietly said. He sat back and folded his hands in his lap. Karen opened the top folder and nearly gasped. She quickly checked the second one and then looked at him for an explanation.

"You and your friend are very good at covering your tracks,' he said. "I didn't see the clues, but someone else did. I asked him to fix the tiny mistakes in your back-stories. Now they will check out completely, even before five years ago."

Karen was stunned and couldn't help asking the question foremost on her mind.

"Why? Why would you do this, Clark?"

He stood up and looked at the bill before setting some cash on the tray. He took a step away from the table before looking at her. She thought she saw something in his eyes, perhaps sadness.

"I get that you don't want to have anything to do with me,' he said. "I'll respect your wishes and won't bother you again. At least though, I'll know you're out there. That's something. With those, I'll know you're safe, too. Good bye, Karen."

He turned and headed back to the office.


	5. Chapter 5

Games

Gotham

Bruce Wayne was a rich man, a very rich man. The way he remained a rich man was the same as every other rich person that wanted to remain rich.

He kept track of his money.

He wasn't hunched over a table with pencil and paper counting every nickel and dime. He was far too rich for that. Again like most rich people, Bruce had hired an entire team of lawyers, analysts. accountants and assistants to keep track of it. Any discrepancies were immediately brought to his attention. As he sat at his desk in Wayne Tower he looked over the latest facts and figures. One of the accountants had found what they termed an anomaly. The amounts were so small they evaded the normal detection methods. It was only when they were all put together that the sum became a bit more sizable.

It wasn't an amount he would really miss or that would hurt him, but it was still his money and someone had taken it. As Bruce pored over the report he had to admit it was very clever work, very clever. In an abstract sense he even had a little admiration for whoever had pulled this off. It was simple, brilliant and logical, but it also had a hint of playfulness to it.

As he looked at the part of the report the analyst's hadn't figured out, a rare smile came to Bruce Wayne's face. He saw it immediately and even chuckled a bit as he looked at the words on the paper.

Robin Grow Just.

Poem Sir.

And then the final one made him smile even wider.

A Contumacy Chief.

Anagrams, he thought. Someone wants to play.

* * *

The Justice League Satellite

Clark had just finished up a mission with Victor and was ready to head back when he rounded a corner and happened to glance into one of the side rooms. He couldn't help stopping. Kneeling in what looked like prayer was Wonder Woman. He felt uncomfortable, feeling as if he'd invaded her privacy. Before he could turn and leave she looked over at him.

"Superman."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude, Wonder Woman,' he immediately offered. "I'll leave so you can continue your prayers. Again, I apologize."

"I wasn't praying,' she replied.

"Either way, it seemed private and I didn't mean to interrupt you,' he said, starting to move away.

"I was actually meditating,' she replied. "I find that it helps me. Have you ever tried it?"

For some reason she seemed to want to talk, and despite his reluctance, he didn't want to be rude.

"Ah, no, I haven't."

Diana could see by his body language he wanted to leave. She wasn't even sure why she felt like talking, especially to him. While he was always cordial towards her, they rarely spoke. They were supposedly teammates for five years now yet he had never used her name. While he was a powerful ally in a battle, that seemed the extent of his involvement with any of them. She had frankly been a bit surprised when Batman said they had worked together outside of the League.

"I'm sorry, am I keeping you?" She asked.

"No, that's all right,' he replied. She was looking at him and he knew she expecting him to say something more. "Um, so have you been meditating long?"

It sounded lame to his ears, but he remembered Arthur's words and the implied message of being more a part of the team.

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "It's something I started only recently."

What she didn't say was that since the revelation about her true birth, she had stopped praying to the Gods. She was angry with them and felt betrayed. To go on praying to them would make a mockery out of prayer, she thought. Yet the habit was so ingrained in her now it left a void inside her. She'd come to realize that it wasn't just the prayers, but the whole ritual she had forsaken. Ritual was such a huge part of every religion and hers was no different. The supplication, the lighting of candles and repeating of sacred words all seemed designed to create an almost other worldly atmosphere away from the ordinary.

When she stopped, Diana realized the actual ritual was what she missed. The quiet time of reflection had always helped to center her and focus her mind. Meditation seemed like a substitute so she integrated into her daily routine.

"Is it helping?" He asked, hoping this would be enough of a conversation and he could go.

"Yes, I believe it does."

"Then I'll let you return to it, Wonder ..., I mean, Diana."

He was just starting to move off, when she stopped him again.

"You have me at a disadvantage, Superman."

Diana was pleasantly surprised that he used her name. She had begun to wonder if he even knew it. He turned to see her smiling at him.

"I apologized for intruding, it wasn't my intention,' he replied.

"That wasn't what I meant,' she said with a shake of her head. "You apparently do know my name, but I don't know yours."

Clark looked at her for a moment, not quite sure what to say. He certainly wasn't just going to tell her his secret identity, yet he felt he should offer her something.

"Um, well, my Kryptonian, name, the name my birth parents gave me is Kal-El."

Diana let the name roll around on her tongue for a moment.

"Kal, I like it, she replied. "Do you mind if I call you Kal, Superman?"

"Um, no, that's, um, fine,' he offered. No one actually had ever called him Kal before but it seemed easier than the alternative. "Again, sorry to interrupt, um, Diana."

With that he was gone.

* * *

Malta

A 'Fly In" was the sort of party you see in W magazine. A bunch of rich people get on their private jets and fly to a specific location, have a party and then fly back out. The billowing white tents formed a circle on the beach. Above on the cliff, the row of jets gleamed in the sun. Everyone looked like they'd stepped out of a Ralph Lauren ad or a CK commercial. Good money had been spent on the best plastic surgeons to make sure they did.

Karen stood with a glass of chilled white wine in her hand, half listening to a conversation. Music wafted over the scene from the distance. She absently brushed a few of her blond locks out of her face as a cool breeze came off the ocean. Her invitation meant she had arrived and was now part of the club. A month ago she would have seen this as a golden opportunity and been thrilled to be here. The connections and contacts she made today would serve her well on her pursuit of a way home. These people were investors in all the major tech firms and knew what they were developing.

As she listened to the latest gossip on which large, financial firm would next be caught cooking the books, she found her mind wandering. It had been doing that a lot lately. Why did he do it, she kept asking herself? He didn't know her at all. Why would he help her when he had nothing to gain from it? She cringed a little as she remembered being a bit of a bitch to him. Well, he did piss me off, she justified. It had been over a month and so far he'd kept his word. There had been no attempts to contact her and no stories on her company.

It wasn't that she doubted he would keep his word, just that it still didn't explain why? She kept thinking of him in terms of Kal back home, but was realizing they were completely different people. On her world Kal had been forty when she first met him. He'd been like an older brother or surrogate father to her when she got to Earth. He was married and settled into his life. He was already established as probably the most famous and loved hero in the world.

This world's Clark was no more than twenty-seven, only three years older than she was. As hard as it was to see him through the image she had in her mind, she was beginning to understand the forces that shaped his life were much different than the man she knew back home. They had the same names, Superman, Clark Kent, Kal-El, but that was all. They were like twins from different mothers. Expecting this Clark to be her Clark was the mistake. So where did that leave her, Karen wondered?

She had told him in no uncertain terms she wanted to be left alone. That's exactly what he'd done. She should have been happy that things had worked out the way she wanted them to. She should have been able to put all her focus on getting back home now that he wasn't an issue.

So why was it still bothering her?

* * *

Milan

Helena Wayne for all practical purposes was a Daddy's girl. She had the same ordered, disciplined mind as him. The same drive for justice and need to have control over as much as she could. She was like a sponge when it came to information, as he had taught her that being the strongest didn't always mean you couldn't be beat by the smartest. She excelled in many fighting styles having learned from the best. In so many ways she was a carbon copy of her father. He was very proud of her.

The small glitch in this and a source of much chagrin for her father was that she was also her mother's daughter. It tended to show itself in the most unexpected ways. Helena liked the chase just like her mother before her. The idea of matching wits and talents against a worthy opponent no matter how reckless it seemed at the time was almost irresistible to her. It tended to make her a bit of a hypocrite, for while she was lecturing Karen on the dangers of getting too involved with Superman, Helena was flirting with danger herself.

She smiled as she thought of it. Sooner or later it would come to his attention. He would recognize them as anagrams right away. While it might not be the same as beating her old man, this Bruce Wayne was as close as she could get on this world. Somewhere her mother, Selina was smiling. While she took after the Bat there was still a little Cat in her too.

* * *

Baltimore

An army of mutated insects had descended on the city. The Justice League was called. Four members arrived and took on the challenge. As the tide turned in their favor, Wonder Woman saw a swarm of giant hornets heading straight for what she thought was an unsuspecting Superman.

"Kal! Behind you," she shouted. It probably wasn't necessary, for in the next moment he was swatting them away out into the bay.

"Kal?" Hal said, looking at the Barry.

"I think that's what she said."

"Did he change his name?" Hal asked.

"I don't' know why he would, Superman's really working for him,' Barry replied.

"That's his name,' Diana informed them as she continued to defeat the insects.

"It is?" Hal questioned. His ring had projected a giant fly swatter and he was smashing bugs left and right.

"Yes."

Lantern and Flash looked over at Superman, as he was finishing off the main body of mutated insects.

"Kal? Really? What is that short for Kalvin?"

"No, it's his Kryptonian name, Kal-El,' Diana explained to Hall.

"So is El his last name?"

* * *

Milan

Batman moved silently over the rooftops towards his destination. He was on alert as the clues were just a little too convenient. Little teasing hints as to where he would find the person behind the thief of his money. At first because of the anagrams he'd thought of the Riddler, but the style was different. It was familiar, very familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. It was like having a name on the tip of your tongue, yet it wouldn't come out.

Slipping down the side of the apartment building, he moved over to the third floor window. The lights were out and he didn't see any movement. He still didn't have a face to go with the crime, but whoever it was had been here recently. Checking for traps and alarms, he finally opened the window and moved inside. As he swept his eyes over the room, he could tell almost at once it had been swept clean. He would check it, but some instinct told him it was a very thorough job. He saw a piece of paper on one of the tables and moved over to look at it. More anagrams.

Tat Oleo

A Contumacy Chief.

A brief smile crossed his lips.

"So game on,' he whispered.


	6. Chapter 6

Clambake

Miami

Helena was alone. Karen was out getting coffee or something and should be gone at least another ten minutes. Opening her laptop, Helena glanced at the door of the apartment and then turned her attention back to the computer. She clicked open a folder and then another inside that one and another inside that one and finally another inside that one. She tapped it twice and a box came up asking for her password. She typed in Vicar is Bantam. The file opened and there were several video files waiting for her. She tapped the one marked Milan and a dark street scene came up. It was a recording of the small apartment she'd rented. The time stamp indicated it was from two weeks prior.

An untrained eye might have missed it, but she was trained by the best. The window seemed to open by itself and then just a flash of dark cloth moved through it. Damn, she thought, he was faster than I expected. When the idea of the anagrams came to her it seemed like a fun little game to play. The sort of thing her father loved to use as a teaching tool when she was growing up. Helena figured this world's Bruce Wayne would catch it sooner or later, but the speed at which he traced it back to the apartment in Milan surprised her. Backing the clip up she froze it just as the hint of fabric appeared and then disappeared. Looking at the time code she could see it was only an hour after she'd finished cleaning the place and abandoned it.

She could almost hear her father's voice chastising her for being sloppy. She'd underestimated her opponent and nearly got caught. Her mother would have chimed in at that moment and pointed out that in fact Helena hadn't been caught. Her father would have countered that wasn't the point. To which her mother would reply, getting away is always the point. They had been having this discussion most of her life.

The voices were only imaginary, but for Helena Wayne they represented the two powerful dynamics that had shaped her life. It was as if depending on the light and which of her parents you knew, a person could easily see her as a spitting image of Bruce or Selina. While she carried her father's sense of justice with her, she also understood her mother's belief that circumstances force things to change. Helena had borrowed the money from this world's Bruce Wayne because they were alone and frankly needed it to survive. Karen had turned it into a fortune of her own, but the fact remained she stole it.

Her mother would understand, saying something like '_you did what you needed to do'_, while her father would have said something like '_use whatever justification you want, it was still stealing'_. There in lay Helena's dilemma, she agreed with both of them. Neither parent probably envisioned their daughter being transported into an alternative universe, but their basic outlook on life most likely wouldn't have changed.

What Helena had learned that her mother knew better than her father, was when you have nothing; you'd be surprised what you'll do to have something. They had been penniless, homeless in a strange land where they knew nobody. The Selina side of her personality kicked in along with her survival instincts. She hadn't killed anyone or hurt anyone really. He had plenty of money and she had taken so little, he wouldn't really miss it. She did what she had to do for her and Karen to survive in this world, plain and simple.

Always though, in the back of her mind was the other little voice of her father telling her it was wrong. As they got more comfortable in this world, the voice got louder. Now it was the dominant voice inside her head. She wondered if that's why she put the anagrams there? Was Karen right? Did she on some level want to get caught? Her father's voice was strangely quiet, but her mother's voice was clearly and unequivocal. _Don't be stupid, you took a little money you needed and had some fun. If it bothers you so much, pay it back._

_With interested, _her father's voice finally chimed in.

"All right, just shut up, please,' Helena softly said aloud. She grumbled some more under her breath as she began the process. All the mechanisms were in place to pay it back already, she just needed to send the authorization sequence and then make sure there were no digital fingerprints to tie it to her. It certainly wasn't as fun as taking it, but it was the right thing to do. At the last moment, just as she was about to finish, she couldn't help smiling. This world's Bruce Wayne had obviously understood it was a game, so why not leave one more little anagram before she finished?

Final Lid Up.

Nether I Twist!

Ma Ever Go.

Boo Edgy.

Her smile got a little bigger as she clicked the final key and then it was done.

* * *

Satisfied, she'd done the right thing, Helena was just heading towards the kitchen when Karen came walking back in. She was carrying a Starbucks cardboard tray with two coffees in one hand and the mail in the other. She set them both down on the table.

"Perfect timing,' Helena said. She moved over to the table and was about to grab one of the coffees.

"The one with non-fat written on the top is for you,' Karen said with a smirk. Helena didn't smile, but just looked at her best friend.

"Very funny."

"Is that the glare again?" Karen asked. "It needs work if it is."

"No, this is an expression my mother taught me,' Helena replied. "It means why don't' you shove that non-fat crap right up your …"

Karen cut her off.

"Relax, I don't know which is worse, you going all Batman on me or Catwoman on me."

Karen picked up her coffee and went over to the window. They had a view of the beach and she let her eyes move over the waves. Helena was going to reply, but decided to let it go for now. As she took her coffee, she did a quick scan of the mail. Most of it was for Karen. She glanced at the return addresses, noting who it was from and where before tossing it to the side. She stopped at an odd shaped envelop with gold lettering. Giving it the quick once over, she held it up to Karen.

"You got an invitation,' she said. "From the looks of it, I'd say it was some sort of trade show in New York."

"Why don't you just open it, detective?" Karen replied, not turning from the window.

Helena looked at her friend again. Karen had been in a mood for some time now. Ever since she went to Metropolis and saw Clark Kent. She had related the meeting to Helena. She was just as surprised by what he'd done, but happy it went so well. Karen said she was glad about the outcome too, but Helena knew her well enough to tell that it was bothering her. She had a hunch what it was, but if she asked Karen, she would deny it. With a sigh, Helena opened the invitation.

"Big trade show it New York City and they would be honored if one, Karen Starr of Starr Industries would attend,' she read aloud.

"I don't think so," Karen replied. "I'll send someone from the company in my place."

Helena was listening to Karen but also scanning the list of invitees. One name jumped out at her, Bruce Wayne. The voices began to chatter in the back of her head again. It was so tempting, to actually meet him in the flesh. She could say she was an employee of Starr Industries, which was technically true. Helena wondered if he'd do what her mother referred to as 'his playboy thing'. She smiled remembering how her mother used to tease her father about it. It irritated him to no end. This would be the perfect opportunity to see it, even if it wasn't her father.

"Why don't you go to this?" Helena suggested. "I'll come with you."

"I don't really feel like it,' Karen replied.

Helena decided to try a different tactic.

"Yeah, maybe you're right,' she said. "You know I've been thinking of going to Metropolis anyway. I should probably thank Clark Kent personally."

Karen turned at this.

"No."

"Why not?" Helena asked innocently. "He did me a favor too, I should properly thank him for it."

"Helena, no."

Helena waved this way as she turned back to the mail. She could feel Karen glaring at her and had to smile just a bit. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Karen had her arms crossed in front of her and she did not look happy.

"Stay away from him, Helena, I mean it." Karen firmly said. "Isn't it bad enough what you're playing at with this world's Batman?"

"Oh, yeah, by the way, I paid it all back, so you can stop lecturing me about it,' Helena replied. In her mind, Helena wasn't just directly this comment to Karen, but to a certain voice as well.

"You paid it back?"

"With interested.'

"You know that's not going to stop him,' Karen offered.

"Probably not,' Helena admitted. "But if it's all there, then there is no crime. It's all just 1's and 0's in computers somewhere, so there is nothing that can trace it back to me."

"He's Batman, he'll figure out something,' Karen replied.

Helena chose not to answer this, instead turned to topic back to Clark.

"You know, maybe just thanking Clark isn't enough,' she mused. "I could take him out to dinner. Some place intimate and private."

"No and NO!" Karen exclaimed.

"Why not?" Helena asked. "You even said he's good looking and I'm not related to him."

"I'm not related to him either,' Karen fired back. "Just stay away from him. I know how you are, so no, just no!"

"Oh, come on, you said he was isolated here," Helena countered. "Maybe we could have dinner and then I could be the soft shoulder for him to lean on for the night. I'm sure he doesn't talk about being Superman with anyone so he'd probably really appreciate a sympathetic ear."

"Oh, please!" Karen rolled her eyes. She pointed a finger at Helena. "Just-Just leave him alone! He doesn't need your sympathetic ear or any other part of you, Helena. He's leaving us alone, so we should leave him alone. I'm warning you!"

"Oh, already," Helena pretended to reluctantly give in. "Then let's go to this trade show. At least I might meet someone interesting there."

"Fine, we'll go,' Karen said. "You just stay away from Metropolis and Clark Kent, is that clear?"

"Jeez, you sound like his girlfriend,' Helena snidely commented. "Alright, I won't go to Metropolis, I'll go to New York with you."

"Good!" Karen replied. A beat passed and then she felt compelled to add. "I don't sound like his girlfriend, that's ridiculous. I just know you and he doesn't need any of your _thank yous_."

Even though Helena had essentially gotten what she wanted, she did take exception to Karen's last comment.

"I'll bet he'd really like my _thank yous_,' Helena muttered under her breath.

"NO!"

* * *

Gotham

Bruce Wayne looked over the latest reports from his team. The money was back in his accounts with interest. The team seemed to think the matter was closed, as they had already changed passwords, firewalls and taken every security measure to make sure it didn't happen again. Outwardly, Bruce agreed with them. He did make sure to impress on each and everyone of them that if this happened again, he would be looking for a new team. They all got his message loud and clear. He let the silence linger just a little longer than necessary and then thanked them all for their hard work. They left his office rather quickly, happy to still have their jobs. They believed he thought he matter was over.

Outwardly he was, but privately, Bruce took a different view. He sat down and began scanning the latest figures. It took several minutes, but then he found them, the anagrams.

Final Lid Up.

Nether I Twist!

Ma Ever Go.

Boo Edgy.

He did a quick translation in his head.

_Paid in Full._

_With Interest._

_Game over._

_Good-bye._

He sat back and steepled his hands in front of him. He read the message again. Bruce smiled.

"Oh, no it's not,' he whispered. "The game has just started."

* * *

Metropolis

Clark began packing an overnight bag for New York. He'd been called into his editor's office and been given the assignment to cover the technology trade show. It wasn't something he usually did, but the tech reporter was on maternity leave and he had written some columns on the tech industry so he was the best alternative. He didn't want to go and suggested they just use the wire services reports. He had some leads on corruption in a large bank based in Metropolis and wanted to follow them up.

His editor calmly pointed to his door and asked Clark to read what it said below his name. Clark turned and looked at the door.

"Editor." Clark replied.

"That means I decided where my reporters go and what they cover,' his editor explained. "If I start letting the reporters tell me how to do my job, well, Great Caesar's Ghost, we'll have anarchy. Get packed, Kent."

So Clark was going to New York. He zipped his old suitcase and set it on the floor. He picked up the information packet the event had provided and scanned over the latest confirmed attendees. All the big companies were represented. One name caught his eye, Bruce Wayne.

"Well, at least I'll know one person at this thing,' he mused.


	7. Chapter 7

Party Life

"_That man of loneliness and mystery,  
Scarce seen to smile, and seldom heard to sigh._

_He knew himself a villain—but he deem'd  
The rest no better than the thing he seem'd;  
And scorn'd the best as hypocrites who hid  
Those deeds the bolder spirit plainly did.  
He knew himself detested, but he knew  
The hearts that loath'd him, crouch'd and dreaded too.  
Lone, wild, and strange, he stood alike exempt  
From all affection and from all contempt."_

- Lord Byron –the Corsair -

New York

The sleek black limousine moved silently across the bridge into Manhattan. Karen sipped her glass of champagne. It wasn't her skyline, yet she had to admit it was still spectacular. She glanced over and Helena and smiled. Helena still wasn't talking to her. The cause was very simple; Karen had waited until the very last minute before confirming their attendance to the trade show. She'd done this deliberately. Karen wasn't a fool so when Helena showed interested in attending she knew something was up. The whole ruse of going to Metropolis to thank Clark had been just to get Karen's goat. It worked, but later Karen realized it was all a ploy on her friend's part. A quick scan of invited guests informed her of Helena's real reason for wanting to attend, Bruce Wayne.

Karen figured there wasn't any use pointing out how dangerous it was. Helena would first deny that was the reason and when that failed; she would say something to the effect that he didn't know who she was, so there was no real risk. It was a game, as simple as that. She just wanted to see him in the flesh one time to satisfy her curiosity. It was one night and then she would be gone back into the shadows. The temptation was just too irresistible. Somehow Helena would get her way so there was no point in arguing with her. That didn't mean Karen couldn't enjoy letting her twist in the wind a bit though.

Karen certainly understood the temptation. Back home, Helena's parents Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle were dead. This was as close as she was ever going to get to seeing either of them again, unless Karen could figure out how to get the quantum tunneler to work. The destruction in Japan had set all of that back who knows how long. Who wouldn't want to be able to see what their parents were like when they were young? While that wasn't a possibility for Karen on either world it was for Helena. Krypton was gone on both worlds, so there was no chance of seeing her real parents every again. What wouldn't Karen give for that opportunity? It would be like getting a glimpse into the past. Karen just hoped Helena always remembered this wasn't her father, this wasn't her Bruce Wayne.

"So have you decided on which last name you're going to use?" Karen ventured.

Helena turned from looking out the window. She was still a little pissed that her friend tortured her that way, but they were here now.

"Helena Bertinelli."

"I thought you burned that name already?"

"I did," Helena replied. "It's only one night, I didn't want to just waste another."

"And if he checks?" Karen asked.

"Why would he check as a trade show?"

"He's Batman, you know better than anyone if he's anything like your Batman he'll check."

"Maybe, but that's where the fun part comes in,' Helena said with a smile. "Besides, I've already got a back up plan that should keep him busy in that event."

"It better be a damn good one,' Karen stated.

"Oh, it is, trust me, it is."

There was something about the way Helena smiled that worried Karen, but she knew it was pointless to ask. Helena liked her secrets as much as everyone else in her family.

* * *

New York

The Wayne Enterprises jet taxied to a stop and the ground crew rushed out to meet it. A limo was waiting. The door opened just as the rolling staircase moved into position. Two gorgeous models emerged from the plane, both carrying champagne glasses. They giggled and laughed at something someone behind them said. A moment passed and then Bruce Wayne emerged. He was smiling as he ushered the women down the staircase and into the waiting car. It sped off a moment later.

In the back of the limo Bruce popped open another bottle of champagne and filled their glasses. They toasted to New York. Neither really noticed that Bruce hadn't been drinking more than a sip now and then. This was one of those increasingly rare events where he played the part of billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne. There was sure to be lots of press and his name would make all the headlines. The star power of the others attending the trade show would just amplify the attention.

The other reason he was here was the trade show. When he'd gone over the guest list and the exhibits, there were several new technologies he wanted to see. His own company was showing off some of its latest designed and the chance to see if any of his competition was working on similar projects wasn't to be missed. Corporate espionage never got the headlines murders or sex scandals did, but the money involved made it a global problem that was growing every year. China alone accounted for a large segment of it. To do business in the country you had to show they all you designs specs and the technology used in making the product. Knock-offs usually appeared within months. Once the intellectual property was out, it was damn difficult to reign it back in.

Bruce hated being away from Gotham, but this trip would pay for itself in the long term. Now he just had to play the part and soon enough this would all be over.

* * *

New York

Clark had transferred from the M60 LaGuardia bus onto the subway. He stood in the cramped car, holding a strap and trying not to let the smells overwhelm him. While he had learned to control his abilities, in a close, confined space like this some slipped through. Even to an average human it was a little rough. He silently cursed again getting stuck with this assignment. The paper had booked him a coach seat here and there were several stops on the way. He was to cover the trade show opening and get some quotes from the top people then catch the redeye back. His own boss, Morgan Edge would be in attendance. The television arm of his empire would certainly be covering his every move.

* * *

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center – Later

Clark moved through the hall grabbing quotes here and there. A podium had been set up for the official press conference, but that held little interest for him. It was all stagecraft for the cameras. It made it seem as if those answering questions were actually fielding questions from all comers. The truth was their staff had already briefed them on who was sitting where and which friendly reporters to call on. If by some wild chance Clark actually got to ask a question, it would be deflected with a non-answer and then the next question from a friendly reporter would be sought. He figured he had a better chance of actually get something real by mingling through the crowd.

His press pass got him into the areas the general public wasn't allow, but he never made the mistake of thinking he belong here. This was a club and he wasn't in it. He was just like the general public only he got to step over the velvet rope. If he needed a reminder of this fact, all he had to do what try and have a conversation with any of these titans of industry. It would be all smiles as they waited for their people to usher Clark away. This was their world and the best he could hope for was to be an observer. That he was one of the top reporters for the Daily Planet meant nothing. Television had long ago replaced the print media as the dominant force in news. The strange synergy of huge corporations owning the very media that was supposed to report on them barely registered with the public anymore.

Info-tainment was a cheap way of looking at it. Once the news divisions of the networks were separate entities, but now they were integrated into the overall structure. They were for profit arms of the whole, just like sports and sitcoms. The 24 hours news channels just accelerated this. On all of these supposed 'news' channels the opinion show became the biggest ratings winner. Where actually news shows needed facts, opinion shows didn't. Talking heads could give their own personal take on why such and such was happening, regardless if they had any facts to back it up or not. If called on it, they fell back on it was just an opinion show and open to all points of view.

Back in 1983, approximately **50** corporations controlled the vast majority of all news media in the United States. Today, ownership of the news media has been concentrated in the hands of just **6** incredibly powerful media corporations. The six corporations that collectively control U.S. media today are Time Warner, Walt Disney, Viacom, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., CBS Corporation and NBC Universal. Together, the "big six" absolutely dominate news and entertainment in the United States. But even those areas of the media that the "big six" do not completely control are becoming increasingly concentrated. For example, Clear Channel now owns over 1000 radio stations across the United States. Companies like Google, Yahoo and Microsoft are increasingly dominating the Internet. Most people wouldn't even know that Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee Partners own Clear Channel Communications and their 1000 stations.

Clark had no illusions about who really ran things. In some ways he knew he was on borrowed time. Morgan Edge now owned the Planet and while so far he was allowing is some free reign, it was only a matter of time before the compromises started. Hadn't he already bought and run with a story about Superman's secret identity? Some poor innocent guy almost got killed because the sensationalism was ratings gold, even if it wasn't true. They could always print a retraction, but the damage was already done. It was a matter of time before the type of stories Clark wrote would run up against one of Morgan Edge's interests. That would be the moment they'd all find out how much of a free press they still had.

Clark stayed on the edges, always the observer. The chances of getting anything real or honest out of this were minimal. He would stick to the facts. Mentioning who was here would satisfy Perry and the Morgan Edge suits that were looking over his shoulder. Turning his attention away from the people, Clark moved over to the actual productions and designs that were on display. He listened as the representative of the manufacturer explained each of them. Prototype and just a mock-up seemed to be thrown around quite a bit. This either meant they were rushing it to the market or they hadn't finished it yet. Either way, he would keep an eye on those companies for future articles. It was while he was checking out the products and designs he first heard it.

"I still think Superman is a menace, to tell the truth."

"His an alien."

"Damn vigilante, he's worse than that one in Gotham."

"Superman will turn on us, you mark my words. The government should take him down now."

"Alien or now, clearly the man has issues. I mean prancing around in that outfit with a cape? It couldn't be any worse if he wore his underwear on the outside."

Clark turned at the last voice, which was familiar to him. Bruce gave him a quick look and then went back to the discussion with those crowded around him. A little dig from Bruce Wayne, who would have imagined, Clark thought. It almost made up for the other comments to see Bruce actually had a sense of humor. As for the other comments, Clark was used to them by now. Yes, he'd won over many but a large majority still feared him. It wasn't even Superman really, it was both sides of him. Those that wanted to get close like Heather Kelley always seemed to end up in danger just by being close to him. She believed he wasn't interested because he had someone else he was in love with. The truth, which he couldn't tell her, was he feared getting close and the harm it might put her in.

That fear isolated him from just about everyone. They all believed he was a loner by choice, but that wasn't it. Clark felt he had to be by necessity. He didn't want to live with the idea that someone might be in danger because they were close to him. That he called it a Fortress of Solitude took on another meaning when seen in that light.

So here he was, always the outsider, the observer looking in at the rest of life. His eyes moved over to Bruce Wayne and watched him for a few moments. The mask was so good, the mysterious, billionaire playboy that it seemed to obscure the fact that he was rarely seen much anymore. The Batman was his real life now.

And then he saw her.

Clark hadn't known she was going to be here, so it surprised him when Karen Starr walked into the room. He noticed she was with her friend, Helena, but his focus was on Karen. Part of him wanted to go over to her, but their last meeting was still fresh in his mind. She made her wishes very apparently and he had promised to honor them. He couldn't do anything about being in the same room with her, but he could keep his distance. He would do his job and get back on the redeye.

* * *

Across the hall, Karen and Helena scanned the crowd. They would have made their way here sooner, but Karen's last minute arrival meant the organizers wanted her to do a small press conference. She fielded some questions from the right reporters and then thanked them all before leaving the podium. She could feel Helena's excitement rising as they moved through the crowd. Neither had seen Bruce Wayne yet, but the organizer had informed them he was definitely here. Karen found she was a little curious about him too. Would he be anything like the man she knew back home?

They stepped into the private room and accepted glasses of champagne. Several people came over to talk to her immediately and she put on her best smile. She chatted for a few minutes, discreetly scanned the crowd just as she knew Helena was doing.

"He's over there." Helena whispered.

Karen followed her friend's eyes and saw Bruce Wayne at the center of a large group. They were all laughing and having a grand time it seemed. Her eyes shifted passed Bruce and then she saw him, Clark. The glass in her hand shattered and for a moment she wasn't sure what to do.

"Are you all right, Miss Starr?"

"Did you cut yourself? I'll call the paramedics if you want?"

"No, no, just a clumsy mistake,' Karen offered. She accepted a towel from one of the waiters and quickly dried her hand and arm off. "I guess I don't know my own strength some times."

She gave a little fake laugh and the others jointed her.

"Will you excuse me for a moment?"

She kept smiling as she took Helena by the arm and moved away.

"He's here!" Karen whispered.

"I know, I already told you that,' Helena replied.

"Not him, Clark."

"Clark? Where?'

"Over there,' Karen said, tipping her head towards where she'd seen Clark.

"No he's not." Helena replied. Karen turned and didn't see Clark. For a second she wondered if she was just imagining it, but then did a quick scan of the room. She spotted him talking to one of the spokesmen at an exhibit.

"Over there,' she said, pointing this time.

"Oh, now I see him,' Helena replied. "Well, maybe he's working. He is a reporter, you know."

"At a tech trade show? That's not his area,' Karen countered. "I thought I could take him at his word and he would leave me alone. Damn it, I knew that was too good to be true."

"Hold on, I think you're jumping the gun a bit,' Helena offered. "You seemed to be forgetting something."

"Oh really? What?"

"You weren't expected to be here, remember? You wanted me to twist in the wind till the last minute for getting you to agree to come to this,' Helena pointed out. "Oh, don't deny it, I know that's what you were doing. You knew Bruce Wayne was going to be here, so you thought it would be funny to screw with me."

"That was just payback for screwing with me,' Karen countered.

"Either way,' Helena said. "He wouldn't have known you were coming, so he's probably just as shocked at seeing you as you are of seeing him."

"Well, when you put it that way,' Karen reluctantly admitted.

"Just ignore him and I'm sure he'll get the message."

"He better,' Karen muttered under her breath.

* * *

Bruce leaned his head back and laughed at some stupid joke. He put his hand on the man's shoulder and pretended to wipe tears from his eyes. He figured he'd go all out at this thing and then he wouldn't have to do another for a long time.

"And the midget said 'that's not a cannoli' oh, my god, that's rich, just rich,' he laughed. "You're a pistol, chum, a pistol!"

He used his laugh to move passed the man and away from the group. The joke was lame, but it gave him an excuse to get away. While he was pretending to listen to the man, out of the corner of his eye he saw Clark react to something. It was almost as if he were seeing a ghost and that peaked Bruce's interest. He followed Clark's line of sight and saw the two women near the entrance. One he knew from the trades was Karen Starr of Starr Industries, but the other one was mystery. He couldn't quite place it, but something about her reminded him of someone. It was a strange feeling that he knew her, even though she was a stranger. That Clark had reacted so strongly to them, only added to his interest. Bruce knew he was going to have to meet both of them before he left.

* * *

Clark continued checking out the booths, gathering information for his story. It wasn't his fault she was here, he told himself. He'd checked the confirmed guests just before he left and she wasn't on the list. He was doing his job, that's all. There were almost 500 people in this part of the hall, so it shouldn't be too hard to steer clear of her. After all, she was in the club and he was just an outsider.

* * *

The evening continued.

Karen chatted with several of the corporate leaders, but she always kept one eye on Clark. It had been two hours since she'd first spotted him, but he'd kept his distance. He seemed to be going out of his way not to notice her. While this should have pleased her, it sort of irritated her. Yes, they'd agreed to leave each other alone, but they were in the same room now. It was one thing to keep his distance, but he was completely ignoring her. Good manners would at least cause him to say hello, she thought. Not that she wanted to talk to him again, she didn't, but he could at least say hello and acknowledge she was here.

* * *

Clark had finished with all the booths and had enough for his story. He still had time to make his flight, so he lingered a bit longer. Occasionally he would glance over at Karen, but she seemed bound and determined not to acknowledge him. When she'd told him point blank she wanted nothing to do with him, he had been hurt, but accepted it. Now that they were in the same room, he found he was a little pissed about the whole thing. It wasn't bad enough she'd implied he was a stalker and called the cops on him, now she wasn't even acknowledging him. Frankly, she seemed like a bit of a bitch, if he was being honest. Well, the hell with her, he thought, she wants to pretend I'm not here; well two can play that game. Really mature, Clark, really mature, he thought, is it any wonder you're still single?

* * *

Bruce had taken his time working his way through the crowd. He kept an eye on the two young women, but continued to make sure everyone knew he was there. Finally he disengaged himself from a rather dull conversation and walked towards Karen and Helena. He put his best smile on as he reached them.

"Excuse me, I don't believe we've been introduce,' he said. "I'm …"

"Bruce Wayne.' Helena said cut him off.

"Um, yes, that's right,' he replied.

"Karen Starr, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce took her hand and kissed it.

'My pleasure, Miss Starr, and who is your lovely friend?"

"Helena Bertinelli."

Helena extended her hand and smiled widely as he kissed it. She could barely contain herself. He was doing it, the 'playboy thing' and it was just as her mother described it. Oh, she thought, it was worth coming just for this.

"Again, a pleasure, Miss Bertinelli,' Bruce said. "Have we met before?"

"I don't believe so,' Helena replied. "I'm sure I'd remember meeting the world famous playboy, Bruce Wayne."

"Don't believe everything you hear,' Bruce offered.

"Didn't you come in with those two models over there?" Helena asked.

"Well, um, yes, they're friends."

"Friends?" Helena questioned.

"Yes, friends,' Bruce replied.

"So you three have a lot to talk about do you?" Helena couldn't help teasing him.

"We share some interests, yes,' Bruce offered. Now that he was closer to her, he definitely felt like he knew her. She reminded him of someone, but he still couldn't figure out whom.

Karen could see Helena was enjoying this just a little too much. She needed to pull it back a notch.

"So Mr. Wayne, what do you think of the trade show so far?" Karen asked.

Bruce had almost forgotten Karen was still standing there, as his mind tried to place Helena. He turned to Karen and smiled.

"I guess it's okay, for what it is,' he nonchalantly offered. "I bit dull if you want to know the truth."

"I would think someone with a company as large as yours would take a keen interest in what's begin offered here, Mr. Wayne,' Helena interjected. "I noticed you looking at that particular display earlier."

She pointed to one of the competitors that Bruce was sure was stealing designs from Wayne Industries.

"Yes, I was,' he admitted.

"Those designs seemed familiar, don't they?" She asked.

"I hadn't noticed." He replied. "What about them seem familiar to you, Miss Bertinelli?"

Karen sensed they were on dangerous ground. Helena was having so much fun with him, she had just implied that she knew those designs were from Wayne Industries. He was sure to become curious about them now. That was no good. They needed to get away from him and fast.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wayne, would you excuse us?" Karen said, taking Helena by the arm. "Ladies room, you understand."

"Of course.

"Nice meeting you, Mr. Wayne,' Helena called to him as Karen escorted her away.

"Interesting meeting you too, Miss Bertinelli,' Bruce softly replied.

* * *

Karen practically dragged Helena into the restroom.

"Have you lost your mind?" She immediately asked.

"What? I was just having some fun with him,' Helena countered.

"You basically told him you know what his company's newest designs are and that those are copies,' Karen stated. "You don't think that's going to get his interest? You want to get caught, don't you?"

"No, of course not,' Helena replied. "It's obvious to anyone with a brain those are copies. Just looking at the design and comparing them to the Wayne Industries display and you can see it. I just wanted to see if he'd admit it, that's all."

"Well, if he wasn't interested in who you were before, he is now,' Karen fired back. "He's probably checking out Helena Bertinelli as we speak."

"Okay, sorry,' Helena offered. "It's just when he went all playboy, it was exactly like mom said it was. She did an impression and it was dead on."

"Helena, he's not your dad, remember?"

"I know."

"I'm sorry, but maybe you should stay away from him for awhile,' Karen suggested. "Just to be safe, okay?"

"You take all the fun out of it,' Helena replied. "I've got this covered remember? I'm five steps ahead of him so don't worry."

"That's what worries me, you underestimating him."

"Trust me, I got this,' Helena said as she headed back towards the party. Karen sighed and followed her, hoping her friend knew what she was doing.

* * *

Bruce had already moved on by the time they came back. It was something of a relief to Karen and she tried to relax and enjoy herself. The only problem was that now the crisis had been averted she couldn't help noticing Clark was still ignoring her. It was as if he were deliberately moving as far away as he could from her. She tried not letting it bother her, but as she talked with some people, she couldn't help looking over to where he was. She was so distracted she didn't realize Helena wasn't standing next to her until she saw her moving towards Clark. No, no, no, Karen thought, leave him alone!

* * *

Bruce was engaged in conversation with some of his largest supplies. He kept it at the chitchat level, but his eyes were moving over the crowd. Something about that Bertinelli women intrigued him. He was damned if he could place who she reminded him off. He was still trying to figure out who it was, when he saw her moving toward Clark Kent of all people. Well that was interesting, he thought.

* * *

Clark of course had seen Bruce talking to Karen and Helena. He didn't eavesdropping, but really didn't have to. Just by Bruce's body language he could tell he was putting on the charm offensive. He found he didn't particularly care for Bruce talking to Karen, but it was none of his business who she talked to or didn't. Just do your job Clark, that's what you're here for.

"Mr. Kent?"

Clark turned to see Helena standing next to him.

"Hello."

"Hi, I'm Helena, Karen's friend,' she offered.

"Yes, I know,' he replied.

"I just wanted to come over and thank you personally for what you did for us. I know you didn't have to, but I wanted you to know I appreciate it."

"You're welcome, um, I don't know your last name tonight,' he admitted.

"I'm going with Bertinelli, but please, call me Helena."

"Only if you'll call me Clark, Helena."

"Deal."

* * *

Karen was watching all of this and she didn't like it. First he ignores her and then he gets all chummy with Helena. Okay, she admitted to herself, she wasn't exactly friendly to him the last time they talked, but that didn't mean he had to hit on her friend, either. Look at them both smiling like they're best friends already. It's not right, Karen grumbled to herself. Leave him alone, Helena!

* * *

Bruce had been watching as well. He found himself having the strangest reaction to seeing Clark with Helena. He didn't like it, at all. It wasn't as if he was attracted to her himself. Yes, she was a very beautiful young woman, but that wasn't it. It was something else, an almost protective feeling. That was ridiculous, he knew, but that's what it felt like. He definitely did not like Clark talking to her.

* * *

Clark and Helena chatted for a short while and then she thanked him again and moved away. He smiled and then moved back to one of the booths to recheck some figures. Out of the corner of his eye he could swear Karen was staring at him. She didn't look happy. Well, he thought, I'm keeping my part of the bargain, so it must be something else.

* * *

Helena stole a glance at Karen and smiled as she saw her reaction. This trade show was turning out to be wonderful fun. She moved towards the bar and just as she reached it, Bruce Wayne was standing next to her. Warning bells went off in Helena's head.

"I didn't know you were so friendly with the press, Miss Bertinelli?"

"I'm not really, I just like his articles and wanted to tell him so,' she offered.

"His articles?"

"Yes."

"Well, you're full of surprises, aren't you,' Bruce observed.

"Yes, I am,' Helena replied.

"Like you last name, Bertinelli,' Bruce said. "Very interesting last name, very interesting."

The warning bells were at full volume now. Helena knew she'd pushed things too far.

"You know, Interpol has some interest in someone named Helena Bertinelli,' Bruce offered.

"Really? Small world."

"Very small."

Helena took a sip of her champagne as she tried to figure out her next move. Fortunately she had planned ahead and at that moment her plan materialized.

"Interesting people that attend these trade shows, wouldn't you say, Mr. Wayne?"

Bruce started to answer, but then glanced at the door. Just walking in was Selina Kyle. What was she doing here? He turned back towards Helena, but she was already gone.

"Well, this is going to be an interesting night,' he muttered to himself.


	8. Chapter 8

Averl Munday

New York

In a house you know, there's a drawer.

Inside are scrapbooks, brag books and loose photographs. If you were to arrange them in chronological order and slowly flipping through all of them, you would see the history of a family.

It could be your family.

As you flip through them you come upon pictures of your parents when they were the same age you are right now. It takes a moment to accept that those are the same people. Those so out of date clothes and hairstyles that make you cringe catch your eye, but if you look just a little closer you see them for who they used to be. In many ways they were probably just like you are now.

Would you have been friends?

What were they like at your age?

You look at them now and only see glimpses of the people in those photographs. They were pencil drafts back then, rough outlines of the final work. They were still rushing forward towards their future. Hopes and dreams of perhaps finding that special someone must have seemed so tantalizing back then.

You flip forward through some more photos and stop on their wedding day. It doesn't always happen like that, of course, but it still does more often than not. You've probably had to look at it a hundred times. A small secret smile would always come to your mother's lips as she showed it to you. The picture represents promises, between them and to the future. Some of those promises might later be broken, shattering that future beyond repair. It was a promise, not a guarantee.

The picture also represents something else. It is the beginning of you.

Without this moment, the next series of photos are never taken. There is no picture of your mother in the hospital holding you new to the world in her arms, as your father smiles proudly into the camera. There is no picture of your first steps or first day of school. There are no firsts without that picture. Futures are really fragile things. Take out one of the building blocks and the rest doesn't crumble, it vanishes.

As you flip back and forth through the pictures, there is one that's rarely there. It's a picture of your parents when they were in those first stages of the relationship, where both still had doubts about whether this was the one or not. Oh there are probably a few of them while they were dating, but those are after they knew.

Now imagine through some fantastic or unbelievable circumstances, you could travel back to that point where they were just beginning to think about the other as maybe the one. Could you resist the urge to see them together? You would be a time traveler witnessing the beginning of you. Your parents may have told you stories about when they were dating, but those are all from a distance and through the rose colored glasses of memory. How irresistible would it be to see what they were really like when they were your age?

Now put yourself in Helena Wayne's shoes. Your parents are dead in another universe from where you are now. The possibility of seeing them again even if Karen's machine works exactly as it is supposed to is remote. You might just get to witness them die all over again. That would be too much to take for anyone. You've made your peace with their deaths and keep them dear in you memory. You try and honor both of them with your life and hope they are proud.

The only thing is though, that those fantastic and unbelievable circumstances have almost come true. Yes, this isn't your world, but in many ways it's a mirror image. Younger doppelgangers of your parents, Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle exist here. This timeline is already different, as they are not together and he already has a son by another woman. You can see the subtle differences in these two from your two as only a loved one could. They aren't your parents you keep telling yourself, but there they are. They look so much like them. It's like looking at those old pictures come to life.

Your father would probably caution you against messing with the timeline on this world. You understand this, but the thought of seeing them in the same room is just too tempting. You know this isn't your world and these aren't your parents, but they are still Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. Looking at them now, you can feel the electricity practically jumping between them. It seems impossible to you that in any world they wouldn't be together.

For if they aren't together, than there isn't even a chance of an alternative you.

But if there is an alternative you, than another series of photos begins and hopefully continues long after yours stopped.

An alternative you means in another house, there is a drawer waiting.

* * *

New York

Bruce glanced around to see where Miss Bertinelli went, but then his eyes were drawn back to Selina. She hadn't noticed he was here, so for that moment he could just let his eyes take her in. Lovely, yes, sexy, yes, but there was always something more about her that seemed to whisper seductively to Bruce. He knew many women, some that you would say were more attractive and some more mysterious, but none with her unique combination of both added to many others. He felt the urge to go to her, but stopped himself.

Selina knew who Bruce Wayne was, but she didn't know he was the man she'd been having an on again, off again torrid affair. That was Batman. Bruce had heard the whispers about her being his weakness and even considered it himself. As he gazed at her sultrily moving through the crowd he couldn't help thinking if she was his weakness, he could live with it. He'd tried not giving in before, but even his will power wasn't that strong. Yes the attraction was very strong, but he hadn't made the mistake of telling her who he was. That would be very dangerous at this point in both their lives. Maybe some day that would change.

So when she glanced over and saw him, it was Bruce Wayne that smiled and raised a glass of champagne as greeting. The smile she gave in return was sensual and flirting, but not the smile she gave Batman. That was a private, personal smile and a twinge of disappointment went through him at not seeing it.

* * *

Across the hall, Karen had spotted Selina too. Helena's words about a back up plan suddenly became clear. Knowing her friend, this back up plan as she called it was only part of another plan. It was pretty obvious what that other plan was. Helena was playing a bit of matchmaker with this world's Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. It was reckless and dangerous, but part of Karen understood. They did look so much like Helena's parents back home. They weren't though, anymore than Clark was the Clark from back home.

Thinking of him again, Karen looked over the crowd once more to see where he was. Still staying as far away from her as possible and still be in the same room. He was definitely not the Clark she knew back home, she fumed. Now though, as that reality had sunk in, she began to see the differences that she'd missed before. They were very small, but the distinctions were there. This Clark's features were just a little more asymmetrical than the Clark she knew back home. Their body structures were the same, broad shoulders, a relatively narrow waist, and V-shaped torso, but this Clark was leaner, more of a swimmer's built than the massive body builder body type of Clark back home.

His manners left a lot to be desired, that was to be sure, she thought. Just as she was starting to get irritated all over again at him, her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Did you see him when he first caught sight of her?"

Helena. Karen sighed and glanced around the room, but couldn't see her.

"What are you doing, Helena?" She asked.

"What? I told you I had a back up plan." Helena replied defensively.

"Trying to get them to hook up, is not a back up plan,' Karen stated.

"It worked, didn't it?" Helena countered. "He's certainly not looking for me now, is he?"

"That's because a bigger criminal just walked in,' Karen fired back.

"She's not that big a criminal,' Helena objected. "It's not like she killed anyone."

"Helena."

"What?"

"They're not you parents,' Karen reluctantly said. There was a pause on the other end of the line.

"I know that."

"Do you?"

"Yes, of course I do,' Helena replied. "I see the differences. He's probably an eighth of an inch shorter than back home and she's at least a cup size bigger. Have you seen her in that cat suit? The zipper just doesn't seem to want to stay up."

"Helena, I'm not talking about another woman's bra size,' Karen snapped. "Besides, they don't look that big to me. I'm talking about you playing matchmaker. They aren't the same people, Helena."

"No," Helena admitted. "But they are attracted to each other. Anyone can see that."

"Of course they are,' Karen grumbled. "They are both really attractive people so they are going to notice each other."

"Like you and Clark?"

"Yes." Karen automatically answered, but then realized what Helena had said. "What? NO! No, that's not the same at all! I'm not attracted to him. I don't even like him very much right now."

"So why have you been watching him all night?"

Karen knew what she was trying to do and she wasn't going to let her get away with it.

"We're talking about Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle, Helena, don't try and change the subject! You just can't play matchmaker in this world, because they ended up together on our world. It doesn't work that way."

"How do you know?"

"Because it doesn't,' Karen snapped. "They're not fated or destined to be together because they were back home. They're different people here, different individuals that have already made different choices. I'm sorry, it just doesn't work that way."

"I disagree, I think in any world they're going to be attracted to each other,' Helena countered. "Like Clark and Lois."

"No, Lois is dating someone else,' Karen immediately replied. "They're more friends here than anything else."

There was another pause on the line.

"You know for someone that doesn't want anything to do with him, you sure know a lot about him,' Helena offered.

Karen groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Maybe we should leave,' she finally suggested. "Before you get tempted to give them another little push."

"No, I already did my pushing,' Helena replied. "I just wanted to see them in the same room together. Come on, aren't you a bit curious about what's going to happen?"

"Maybe a little bit,' Karen reluctantly admitted.

"So let's stay a while longer and watch."

"What if he comes looking for you?" Karen asked.

"Look at him, Karen, he's not thinking about me anymore."

Karen glanced over and while Bruce was acting the part of playboy, his eyes continually returned to Selina.

"All right, I guess we can stay a little while longer,' Karen finally agreed.

* * *

At the back of the hall, Clark had been watching too. While he continued to look at the pamphlets advertising the different companies new products, he noticed Bruce's reaction immediately. While they were friends, of a sort and had worked together they were by no means close. Following Bruce's eyes, Clark saw Selina enter. He looked back at Bruce and for just a moment he thought he saw the façade drop. For an instant, Clark thought Bruce was going to go to her, but then the façade returned.

He shifted his gaze over to Selina Kyle. He'd never met her, but knew who she was, Catwoman. Clark had always found it interested that of all the criminals in Gotham, she somehow managed not to be caught by Batman. He had of course heard the rumors as to why this was, as he heard pretty much everything. He couldn't quite believe it, knowing what little he knew about Batman, but now he definitely saw there was some truth to them.

Strange, the Batman, scourge of the criminal world was attracted to a woman that straddled the line at best. Although, as he looked at her, Clark could certainly understand how Bruce could be attracted to her. There was a femme fatale quality that seemed to just drip from her fingertips. While she wasn't the most beautiful woman Clark had ever seen. Karen was better looking he absently noted. Selina seemed to have a combination of sensual beauty that enhanced her considerable charms.

Wait, Clark suddenly thought, did I just say Karen was better looking?

Where the hell did that come from, he wondered? She'd been basically a bitch to him since he met her. Sure she was attractive, but let's not go overboard, he told himself. He'd certainly met friendlier women that were just as attractive. He glanced over to where she was standing and saw once again she was ignoring him. Yep, definitely have met a lot of women friendlier.

Well, the hell with her, he thought. I've finished my assignment so there's no reason to linger any longer. I've already spent too much time at this thing. As interesting as it might be to see what plays out between Bruce and Selina, he was tired of all this. If you're not in the club, the longer you're around it the more noticeable it becomes. Besides, with all the effort she's putting in to ignoring me I guess I can help her out again. I'll just head back to the airport and wait for my flight. It's about ten blocks to the right subway and there is still the bus ride, so might as well leave now.

* * *

Karen had been watching with some interest as Bruce and Selina seemed to circle through the crowd getting closer all the time. They both acted like they didn't know what they were doing, but she doubted that. The little glances they both took towards the other belied their outward appearance of ignoring each other.

At the thought of them ignoring each other, Karen glanced over at Clark. He was heading for the exit. He's not even going to acknowledge me, she thought. What a prick! Yes, they'd agreed to keep their distance, but this was just rude. She found herself setting her champagne glass down and following him. She still didn't want to talk to him, but she definitely wanted to give him a piece of her mind.

She saw him slip out one of the back exits and she pushed the door open seconds later. He was just down the alleyway towards the street. She stepped into the light.

"Well you certainly live up to the Kryptonian reputation for being arrogant.' She called after him.

Clark stopped and turned towards her.

"I was raised on Earth, so I'm guessing you're a better example of that than I am."

Now she was really pissed.

In the next moment she was standing right in front of him. She slapped his face. A normal man's head would have probably been dislodged from his shoulders and pulverized by the force of the blow. Clark of course, wasn't a normal man.

"So it's just normal Earth rudeness then?" She spat out. "You just ignore somebody?'

Clark rubbed his jaw, the sting still fresh. Now he was really pissed.

"Well you seemed to pick it up in your five years here, so it seemed appropriate."

Karen raised her hand to slap him again, but this time Clark stopped her. He caught her wrist in his and as they struggled he backed her against the building. They stood millimeters apart. They were both breathing hard and their emotions were high. He looked into her eyes and she starred back at him.

"Why are you so pissed at me?" He whispered.

"Cause you ignored me all night,' she softly replied.

Why he did it, later he couldn't say, but in the moment it seemed like the only thing to do. Clark leaned in and kissed her. It took them both by surprise and for a moment they didn't seem to know what to do. Karen finally wrenched her wrist away from his hold, hesitated for just a moment and then pulled him into tighter and deepened the kiss. When it finally ended, they were both out of breath, their foreheads resting against each other.

"I'm not ignoring you now,' he whispered.


	9. Chapter 9

Word Schmear

(It occurs to me there are a couple of ways I can write the next scene. We have Clark and Karen pressed against each other having just kissed. I could do the extended tease. Have them all hot and steamy right up to the point where they are just about to … and then have one or both pull back.

Or I could cue the porno music. Just have them bang one out right there in the alley against the wall. This would involve just getting down and dirty and using words that you hear at a truck stop way more than I really feel like typing right now.

I could do a version of the old switcharoo. Have her slap him into next week and then they get into a knock down drag out. I think I might have already done that once in another story, but I'm not sure. I am sure I've had Clark get slapped before, probably in every story. That's the cool thing about using him as your main hero; he can pretty much take a slap from anyone. If Karen, Diana, or even Kara slap Bruce full force across the face, end of story. They would be picking pieces of his skull and teeth out of a wall several blocks away. You have to change the whole designation of the story type after that. I mean you can't keep it Romance if one of the main characters is missing a head.

A fight would be kind of cool right here, though.

Unfortunately, that's not where we're at in this story. This is where the sex scene comes in. Depending on how well the writing goes, I might even change the rating on this story from T to M. I think we can all agree a really hot sex scene right here would be great. Nothing vulgar, we're not animals after all, but tasteful and hot. Of course just because they have sex doesn't mean it has to be amazing. That's sort of a cliché too, isn't it? It seems like every character in every story has this amazing mind-blowing sex right off the bat, first time out

I'm pretty sure I've done that too in a couple of stories. It is fan fiction after all.

So if I wanted to break the mold and do something different, they should have really bad sex. Of course bad sex is in the eye of the beholder isn't it? One man's bad sex seems pretty good to someone else. I guess he could be a little quick on the trigger since it's been so long, but that really seems more like comedy than bad sex. I suppose I could combine the two. Something like:

* * *

"Ow," Clark suddenly groaned.

"What?' What's wrong?' Karen breathlessly asked.

"I missed," he replied, taking a step back from her and doubling over in pain.

"You what?" She said in confusion. "You missed? How could you miss?'

"Well you're kind of a moving target,' he offered, still smarting a bit. Karen turned and saw an indentation in the wall behind her.

"You missed? What the hell Clark? You missed?"

* * *

(Yeah, I guess that would work, but I sort of have a reputation of writing Clark as the perfect man, Mary Sue type character that every woman's in love with so I wouldn't want to change my _trademark_ now, would I?

Maybe a fight isn't such a bad idea after all.

No, no, this is the perfect place for a sex scene. Emotions are running high, they're both a little confused and turned on, that says sex scene to me.

I guess I could introduce a bad guy instead. Maybe Solomon Grundy should show up at the end of the alley. The last chapter had Munday in the title, so it would seem like I had it all planned out that way. Of course that takes us right back to a fight scene. How many times has Superman beat up Grundy anyway? Like a thousand or so? It would be kind of anti-climatic if he fights him again, especially since Karen's with him. That wouldn't even really be fair to Grundy. I suppose I could use Toyman. I always like the idea of a foul-mouthed puppet in a story. Than again, I've sort of used that gag more than once, so it would be hard to come up with some new filthy things for him to say. He'd probably not attack but want to watch anyway.

Yeah, I think a sex scene is the way to go.

I could have people vote on what they want to see next. Of course that opens up a whole other can of worms. How do I make it so it's one person, one vote? In a previous story one individual reviewed 37 times asking for Batman and Mary Marvel to hook up. I'll admit that would be interesting in a strange way, but it might really derail this story. Besides in another story I gave two different endings and people wrote back that I'm the writer so I should just pick one and stick with it. Apparently the chose your adventure series has lost some of its popularity since I was a kid.

So we are going to have a sex scene and it's going to involve Karen and Clark. I'm the writer after all, so sex scene here we come.

(Just a side note, that wasn't supposed to be a pun, but it sort of sounds like one.)

How to do it though, that's sort of the question?

I could go all technical, try and show off that I've read some books and remember some stuff. Sort of something like:

* * *

**Biological imperatives** are the needs of all living organisms required to perpetuate their existence: to survive. Without them, a species quickly heads towards extinction. This is a universal truth throughout the galaxy since the beginning of time.

Clark and Karen looked so human it was easy to forget they weren't, even for them. What they were actually was something else. Karen was for all intense purposes the last adult female Kryptonian in the universe. Clark was the last adult male Kryptonian in the universe.

That they found themselves attracted to each other could be explained many ways. She was a beautiful woman and he was a handsome man. The more romantic of us might say what they felt for each other was destiny or fate, like a modern day Romeo and Juliet, except from another planet and different universes.

Perhaps, though, just perhaps, there was something else at work. Perhaps something far more basic to each of them, some genetic memory that was working on the DNA level. Maybe it could all be put down to simple biology. Humans are attracted to humans far more than any other species. Thanagarians are attracted to Thanagarians far more than any other species. Martians are attracted to Martians far more than any other species. Well you get the point, maybe; just maybe, Kryptonians are attracted to Kryptonians more than any other species.

Maybe what had caused their species to flourish before the destruction of their planet and the wiping out of pretty much all of them had been genetically encoded into each and every one of them since the beginning of time. Maybe those biological imperatives that were responsible for the success of every species on Earth were also present in Kryptonians. Maybe when they were close to each other, genetic triggers on an unconscious level kicked in. Pheromones, body language, chemical reactions on a cellular level were all happening without them even knowing it. Maybe some primitive call handed down from their ancestors remained and only when in the presence of another Kryptonian could it be heard. Maybe it was all simple biology.

* * *

(I suppose that could work. A little clinical, I'll admit, but it does sound like I know what I'm talking about. Sure another way of putting the same thing is these really advanced aliens have been living among us monkeys and they finally found each other. They find the idea of sex with each other much more appealing than sex with the rest of us monkeys. That's really not going to get a lot of Harlequin Blaze paperbacks jumping off the shelf though.)

* * *

(I could go minimal, that would be different.)

_Clark kissed Karen. Again. They pulled each other's cloths off. They had sex. It was really amazing._

(The reader would have to, you know, fill in some of the blanks. Yeah, that would be a really, really short chapter. I could probably lengthen it a bit more.)

_They had sex again. It was great the second time too._

(It would still be really short on details and of course, actual, well, words.)

* * *

(Now that I think about it, maybe it doesn't have to be completely different. Maybe it can just be about two people that find each other attractive and the moment is right. Maybe I can leave what it means and the implications for later. Maybe like real sex it's pretty much all about that moment. Maybe that would go something like:)

* * *

Clark was pressed against Karen as she leaned back against the wall. Emotions were running high in both of them. Love really wasn't at the top of the list. Anger, lust, confusion and desire were foremost as they looked at each other.

"I-I thought you didn't-didn't like me?" He couldn't help asking.

"I don't … want to,' she whispered.

He could feel her breath against his cheek. She was so close. Her lips looked so inviting. The way she was looking into his eyes as if she were waiting for him to make the next decision.

Slowly he leaned in and kissed her. She kissed him back; bringing her arms up to circle his neck and pull him in tighter. He could feel every inch of her body against his now. She could feel his excitement pressing against her stomach through the thin dress she was wearing.

One kiss led to another and another. Each seemed to increase the heat they were both feeling. Her mouth followed his as Clark parted his lips and without a thought their tongues entwined. His hands moved down to her slim waist and pulled her tighter against his body. Their lips danced over each other's, their tongues dueling. They couldn't seem to kiss each other hard enough, or deep enough or passionately enough. Her fingers ran through his hair, not gentle, almost angry to get him closer. He pressed her back hard against the wall in an almost punishing embrace.

"Karen, I want …" He stared to say, but she wasn't interested in talking. She captured his lips again. Her hands began to move down his body, slipping their way between their bodies. Her fingers found his belt and began to open his pants. There was no turning back in either of their minds. His fingers slipped under her thin dress. His thumbs hooked into the waistband of her panties and began to ease them down. Karen gave a moan, as her fingers couldn't seem to get his pants undone fast enough. He managed to get her panties down to her thighs. Karen did the rest, letting them fall to her ankles. She finally had his pants open and they joined her panties in falling.

In one swift move, Clark lifted her up and Karen wrapped her legs around his waist. Holding her against the wall, he entered her. They both gasped at the sensation. The anger was still there, but lust was overwhelming both of them. Slowly she eased herself down taking him deeper and deeper into her body. He was completely inside her now and for a moment they were still, almost too afraid to move lest the sensations prove too much.

Tentatively he began to ease her back up, shuddering breathes coming from both their lips. He was almost all the way out, when she flipped her hips and took him all once again.

"Oh God!" She gasped, her arms tightly around his neck, their bodies now in motion. Clark leaned into her, kissing her hard as he began to catch her rhythm. They moved against each other, almost as if they wanted to get as close as possible. Words like tight and deep came to mind, but they were too into the moment to form them. Gasps, whimpers, groans and a series of inarticulate noises filled the alleyway.

This wasn't love; this was hot, angry sex. It was what they both wanted and needed from the other. Emotions that had been building all night came pouring out. Her legs were wrapped so tightly around his waist, almost as if she wanted to crush him between her thighs. He held her hard against the wall, his body leaning into her driving deeper again and again. His fingers dug into the concrete, bits of it showering down, but neither noticed.

She met his every thrust with one of her own, equaling him in their ferocity. When she kissed him it was as if they wanted to devour each other, but this only spurred them on to greater intensity.

Karen could feel her orgasm rushing through her. There was no thought of holding back. It seemed to shout to a need deep inside her. She wanted it, craved it, and needed it now. Beads of sweat glistened off her skin as she growled between her clinched teeth, her body imploring him for more. She wanted it faster, harder, hotter. She wanted him to climax with her, for both of them to explode at the same time.

Clark grunted, trying to hold off as long as possible, to make it last just a few moments more. The back of his shirt was ripped to shreds by her fingernails and soaked with his own perspiration. He could feel every inch of her body against his, moving, writhing, urging him on for more. Part of him wanted her to never forget this or him. He wanted her to know that the man she'd been avoiding and ignoring, the man she wanted nothing to do with, could make her feel this way.

Karen sped the pace up, feeling her orgasm picking up steam. She looked hard into his eyes and knew for as much as she might regret it later, she wanted this now. She wanted him. She wanted him to know even if he tried to, he wouldn't be able to ignore her after tonight. He might never see her again, but he wouldn't forget this no matter how hard he tried. She would be the one he would be forced to compare all others too after tonight.

And then neither could hold back any longer. He drove into her one last time. She pulled him to her wanting to feel him as deep inside her as possible. They both screamed and held each other impossibility tight, riding a wave of sensations. More bits and pieces of the wall showered down all around them as he held her hard against it.

That moment, they didn't know how long it lasted. It was as if everything went white before their eyes and they were in a world composed of just sensations.

And then it was over.

They slowly pulled apart, both weak in the knees, gasping for air. It took them several moments to find their voices. So many thoughts rushed through their brains and towards their lips. They each wanted to say so many things to the other.

Unfortunately the words that came first killed all the others.

"That was a mistake."


	10. Chapter 10

Heavy Disco Funk

New York

"… Mistake."

That last word hung in the air and seemed to suck all the oxygen from the alley. Like everything else that had happened it was a surprise to both of them. Karen could see she'd hurt him again even though that wasn't what she intended. She wasn't even sure if the words were meant for him or for her. Looking, she still felt the desire and the heat to be with him again. It was as if she had realized doing it once, she would want to do it again, with him. That frightened her.

Karen had been so careful not to form any attachments in this world. Getting home was always foremost in her mind. As much as she'd liked Michael Holt, she never allowed herself to loose focus on the ultimate goal. Tonight she'd forgotten everything except how good it felt in the moment. She'd let her emotions towards Clark lead her and in the process had been overwhelmed by them.

In every way tonight had been the single most unique experience of her life. It wasn't her first sexual experience, but it was different from all the rest. He was a Kryptonian, which meant there had been no need to worry about hurting him physically. She could give into the moment and embrace it. She could just be a woman for once and relish in what that meant. Looking over at him just standing there, she knew there were other ways to hurt someone besides physically. Words can cut deeper and sharper than any knife.

"I'm sorry." She offered, but already knew it was too late for that.

His head dipped and he just sort of gestured with his hand to dismiss her words. Clark turned and started walking away from her towards the street. She started to call to him, but her voice didn't come. The damage was done and she feared she would only make it worse. She wasn't even sure if he knew she was sorry for saying it was a mistake or for that the whole thing happening. Karen just stood there, leaning against the wall as he disappeared around the corner. With her vision she followed him for another two blocks until he tossed his shirt and coat away and took the sky. She let him disappear into the night.

Her knees seemed to give out and she slowly slipped down the pavement. She couldn't stop the tears from coming.

"Fuck."

She had made a mess of everything.

* * *

The Trade Show

Bruce Wayne was a precise man. He had to be. He was the head of a billion dollar corporation and he was the Batman. While he was brilliant, he never fooled himself into believing he was the smartest or strongest. That would be folly and dangerous to someone in his position. The way he made up for this was paying attention to details. Yes, for the last several minutes Selina Kyle had been his main focus, but she wasn't his entire focus. Details, no matter how small can pay dividends later. He'd noticed who was drinking more than they should. He noticed who was taking an interest in his companies prototypes.

Details.

Bruce notice Clark Kent slipping out the back door. He noticed Karen Starr seemed angry as she followed out the same door moments later. He'd also noticed the two had been trying to ignore each other all night. When she didn't return right away he thought of several assumptions, but would wait for more details to confirm which one was correct. Something was going on between those two and he certainly was going to make an effort to find out what. While he was friendly with Clark, Bruce never forgot he was Superman. Every detail about him could later prove valuable. Where Karen Starr figured into all of it was another detail worth looking into.

There was also Miss Starr's friend, Miss Bertinelli. She had conveniently disappeared, but Bruce had a hunch she was still around somewhere. A very interesting young woman, he thought, very interesting. He still couldn't place who she reminded him of, but that was just another detail he would figure out.

The most pressing detail of course was Selina Kyle. As she made her way around the room closer to Bruce, he took in every detail. This wasn't the sort of crowd she was used to, but she was adapting on the fly. He almost smiled as he watched her figure out the same skills she had in abundance worked just as well here as they did in an East Gotham nightclub. She let others do most of the talking and pretended she was interested in what they were saying. If she played it right, each person she spoke to was made to feel they were the most important person in the world to her at that moment.

Everyone likes to talk about him or herself. The secret to winning them over was pretending you found them just as interesting. By the time she was in range of Bruce, Selina had mastered this ability. The fact that she was a beautiful woman in a very revealing dress didn't hurt either.

There was another detail about her that Bruce found most intriguing. She was still holding her invitation and all access passes to the entire trade show in her hand. There was a logo on it that identified whose party she was with. Apparently Wayne Enterprises had invited her. This was interesting, because Bruce knew for a 100% certainty he hadn't. So someone was playing another game with him, most likely the thief that liked anagrams. They seemed to know a lot about him whoever they were, which was another detail Bruce planned on correcting.

"Hello, Mr. Wayne.'

"Miss Kyle. I'm surprised to see you here."

"Your company invited me, Mr. Wayne,' she replied, flashing the invitation. "I know you don't get involved in the day to day activities, but I would think you'd know who you invite and who you don't."

She gave him a teasing, challenging smile and he returned it.

"Yes, I do,' he said. "I just didn't think you'd be interested in this sort of thing."

"I'm expanding my horizons,' she offered. "Sometimes we forget there's a big world outside of Gotham. Lots of interesting things to see."

"Have you seen anything interesting so far?"

"Maybe, but the night's still young,' she replied. "Things usually get more interesting after midnight."

"Isn't there an old saying that nothing good happens after midnight?"

Selina leaned closer to him.

"Who said anything about being good, Mr. Wayne?"

Rather than reply, Bruce smiled and took a sip of his champagne. Selina's smile grew just a bit as she watched him.

* * *

Standing on the balcony in the shadows, Helena watched with great interest. She was enjoying this immensely. The only thing that diminished her enjoyment was wondering what Karen was up to. Her father had drilled into her head countless times to pay attention to the details; it had become second nature to Helena. She saw Clark leave and then watched as Karen stormed out after him. Since the building wasn't collapsing it was safe to assume they weren't fighting. She thought she felt a small tremor, but this only peaked her interest as to what exactly they were doing out there. She would definitely have a few questions for Karen later.

Right now though, she wanted to concentrate on Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. It had taken a lot of planning to get them both in the same room. They may not be her parents, but there was electricity between them. She watched them mingle and circle ever closer to each other. To anyone else it would appear they weren't even aware the other was in the room. Helena could tell they were never unaware of where the other was at any time.

She watched ever detail of both of them, every facial move, every body signal, all the details that that told the unspoken story. By now Bruce had seen the invitation and probably had several questions. It had been a risk that he might make the connection between the theft of his money, the invitation and Helena, but she took it anyway. Tomorrow, Helena Bertinelli would be gone for good as she already had another identity ready. He could search all he wanted, but that name was a dead end. Her connection with Karen was his only clue, but her business interests kept her out of the country most of the time. Thanks to Clark, he would find nothing wrong with their back-story.

Karen still hadn't returned and this Helena realized might complicate things. If this world's Bruce Wayne knew Clark Kent was Superman, which she assumed he would, than Karen going off after him would be a detail Bruce would want to know more about. Would he figure out she was a Kryptonian? What would he do with that knowledge? Helena never intended for Karen to get drawn into her fun with Batman. She believed she'd thought of every angle and scenario, but when Karen followed Clark it had been a surprise. What the hell were they doing out there all this time, she wondered?

* * *

Bruce and Selina had been having a little running verbal duel and he had to admit he was enjoying it. She could be so playful when she wanted to be. It was a very alluring quality. It suddenly reminded him for someone else, Helena Bertinelli. That's who the young woman reminded him for, Selina, he realized. Yet it wasn't just Selina she reminded him of. Yes, now he could see some certain similarities, but there was something else about Miss Bertinelli that seemed so familiar. Another associate of his perhaps, Bruce wondered? She seemed so damn familiar it bothered him to no end he couldn't place whom else she reminded him of.

''Am I boring you, Mr. Wayne?" Selina asked.

"Not at all, and it's Bruce, Miss Kyle."

"In that case, it's Selina, Bruce."

"I'll remember that."

"I'm sure you will."

* * *

Metropolis

Clark hung a thousand feet over the bay looking at the city. The clouds covered the moon so he was invisible to the naked eye. He was hurt and angry, but mostly confused. A mistake, the words seemed to echo in his mind. It stung worse than her slap and still lingered. Everything had happened so fast; he was still processing it when she cut through it all with her words. Once she said it, there seemed nothing else to say.

What the hell was she doing to him? She avoided him, told him to leave her alone, ignored him and then had hot, passionately sex with him, only to say it was a mistake. In the span of a few minutes she had taken him to new highs and then plunged him to new lows. He didn't understand any of it. He absently wondered if all women were like this or was this a special trait only Kryptonian women had?

A mistake.

The hell with her, he thought. He wasn't going to play whatever game she was playing. She told him she wanted nothing to do with him. He was going to grant her wish from now on. If he didn't hear the name Karen Starr again, that was fine too. Fuck her! She was more trouble than it was worth and it was probably better just to forget her and go on with his life.

Only he knew he wasn't going to forget her. He wasn't going to forget being with her in the alley. He wasn't going to forget how good it had been. He tried to tell himself there would be other women, but sadly he knew it wouldn't be better. For that oh so brief time, he hadn't had to worry or think beyond the moment. He hadn't had to pull back from it, to rein his emotions in. He'd been able to embrace all of it, feel everything, be completely who he was.

Just thinking about it, Clark could feel the heat and desire returning. As painful as her words had been, part of him still wanted her again. It was a taste of what everyone else feels and he wanted more. He wanted her. It was crazy; he didn't even like her, yet those thoughts couldn't be pushed away.

God, what was she doing to me, he wondered?

* * *

New York – Late

Helena rode up in the elevator by herself, contemplating the evening that had just ended. She had enjoyed it very much. In some ways it was like watching an old home movie come to life. Once Bruce and Selina came together, they never seemed to be very far from each other the rest of the night. Karen would probably remind her again this wasn't her world and they weren't her parents. Helena knew that, she did, but another old saying kept repeating in her mind.

"If you don't like the world around you, change it."

Yes, she was from another universe, but she was stuck here now. For the time being this was her world. If certainly small things about this world weren't what she liked, than why not try and change them? Bruce had a child by Talia in this world. If she was anything like the Talia from back home, Helena didn't care for that one bit. Bruce could do far better than to get mixed up with Talia al Ghul and her father on any world.

If tonight was any indication, Selina Kyle seemed much better suited to Bruce. He smiled more when he was around her. If he was like her father, that would be important as the years went by. It had been her mother that had kept him from fully embracing the darkness that spawned Batman. Talia most certainly would never do that for him.

As the elevator arrived at her floor, Helena stepped out and fished her key card out of her purse. Walking down the hall she reminded herself not to underestimate this Bruce Wayne. So far she had managed to stay a few steps ahead of him, but if she got careless, that could all change. Yes, it was a game, but she knew how seriously Bruce Wayne took games. She still had an advantage, she knew just about everything about him, while he was only starting to know about her. She had taken a risk tonight and now it was time to pull back. It was time to disappear for a while and figure out what his next move would be and what hers would be too.

Opening the hotel room door, Helena saw all the lights were out. Karen had sent her a text earlier saying she was heading back to the hotel. She had replied was everything okay, but Karen never responded. Helena closed the door and slowly moved into the room. She felt a slight breeze and turned towards the balcony. Karen was silhouetted in the doorway.

"Karen?"

She didn't respond and this troubled Helena. She moved quickly over to her friend. As she got closer she could see Karen was shaking.

"Karen?"

Moving around her, Helena saw Karen was crying.

"Karen, what happened?"

Karen slowly turned, her cheeks wet with tears.

"I made a mistake."


	11. Chapter 11

Ink Blot Horizon

New York

Sometimes the best thing a friend can do is just being there. It's not even the words said, but the physical act of being there that makes the difference. Helena put her arms around Karen and gave her best friend a hug. She didn't try telling her everything was going to be okay or chastise her for whatever mistake she thought she made. It wasn't the time for that. Just being there and silently reminding her she wasn't alone was enough.

The tears flowed awhile longer and then slowed. They stood together looking out over a city that seemed so familiar, but wasn't their own.

"You know,' Helena began. "I was watching a sitcom on television the other day and according to one of the main characters in this situation I'm supposed to offer you a hot beverage. It seemed kind of silly, but what do you think?"

Karen actually gave her a sad smile.

"Tea does sound nice,' she admitted.

Helena laughed.

"I didn't think you'd really want something,' she replied. "I don't actually cook, never had to, but I guess I could call down for room service."

The two friends moved back into the hotel room. Helena made a quick call and then moved over and sat down across from Karen.

"So do you want to tell me about it" She asked. "I assume it has something to do with Clark."

"Yeah."

Karen's head dipped and her smile disappeared.

"You followed him out into the alley.' Helena offered as a prompt.

"I-I was angry with him." Karen began. Her voice was soft and tinged with the obvious sadness. "I want to tell him how rude I thought he was."

"Yeah?"

"I did. He made some smart remarks in return."

"You didn't fight, did you?" Helena asked.

"No, well, I slapped him,' Karen admitted. "I started to slap him again, but he caught my hand and then …"

"What?"

"We kissed."

"Oh."

"We did more than kiss,' Karen reluctantly admitted. She sheepishly glanced over at Helena and quietly added. "A lot more."

"Oh."

Karen seemed uncomfortable remembering it. She fumbled with her hands for a moment.

"I'm not even really sure why,' Karen continued. "I think it was all the emotions of the moment, then something just happened between us."

"Are you in love with him?" Helena ventured.

"What? No, God no,' Karen replied.

"Then what?" Helena asked.

"I don't know what I feel towards him, really." Karen admitted. "We were both so angry and it just happened. I think he was as shocked as I was. One moment we were shouting at each other and then we were …"

Her voice trailed off as she looked down at her hands.

"Having sex,' Helena finished her sentence.

"Yeah."

Karen ran her fingers through her blonde locks, the confusion very apparent in her expression.

"I told him it was a mistake. I mean literally right afterwards. It just sort of came out."

Helena considered this. She could just imagine his reaction to that.

"He didn't take it well, did he?"

"No. He-He just looked at me and then-then walked away,' Karen replied. "God, I've screwed everything up. I was trying to avoid him and what do I do? Sleep with him. I'm sorry, Helena, I thought I was being so careful to keep us off their radar and now I've ruined everything."

"Hey, don't think like that,' Helena said. "There are worse things than having sex with a guy you're attracted to. It wouldn't be the first time you've done it, right? They were going to notice us sooner or later. Japan saw to that. We'll deal with it, just as we have with everything else since we got here. It will be okay, Karen, I promise."

"Batman probably saw me follow Clark.' Karen mused, still rolling it all over in her mind. "Now he'll be interested in us too. Well, more interested than he already was. I really fucked everything up tonight."

"Well, I think I may have contributed a bit to him noticing us,' Helena admitted. "Maybe flying Selina Kyle in tonight was a little too much. It was fun watching them together."

"You could have told me you were going to do that."

"You would have been pissed,' Helena replied. "I thought the surprise would be best for everyone."

"Well, it was a surprise,' Karen sadly said. "It was a night of surprises."

"Look, you said it yourself, having sex with Clark was a mistake.' Helena consoled. "There's nothing you can do about it now. You said he was as surprised as you, maybe he understood."

"You didn't see the look on his face,' Karen whispered. "I hurt him and that wasn't what I meant when I said it."

"What did you mean?" Helena was curious as to her friend's emotions.

"I'm don't know," Karen admitted. "I got scared and it just came out."

"What did you want to say?"

"I wasn't what I wanted to say, it was what I wanted to do that scared me."

"Oh."

"I feel like if I could just go back in time I could fix this,' Karen absently said.

"Even you can't do that, Karen," Helena replied.

"We'll never know until I try."

"How about you take a shower instead?" Helena suggested. "What's done is done. We'll get some sleep and tomorrow we'll figure out what to do."

Karen reluctantly nodded and headed towards the bathroom. As the door closed, Helena sat back trying to put it all together. Karen sleeping with Clark was going to be a problem. The question on her mind though, was what were Karen's real feelings towards Clark. Helena believed her when she said she wasn't in love with him, but that didn't mean she wasn't attracted to him. Helena had been getting that feeling from both of them all night. It made sense really, Karen was very attractive and so was Clark. Why wouldn't they be interested in each other? Add to that how limited they both were in who they could actually be with and it would be a surprise if they weren't attracted to one another.

It was in some ways like her and Bruce Wayne. Helena could admit he was a very attractive man, although that thought gave her a really creepy vibe. Table for two, incest on the menu came to mind and she thought she might get sick at the thought. God, just the idea of her dad in that way made her squirm. Sure, he wasn't really her dad, but he looked almost exactly like him. Stop, she told herself, stop freaking yourself out and focus on the issues at hand.

They were still fine. Clark's fixing their back-stories helped, but Helena had done a few revisions on that work. They were still flawless, but now they were more her style. As long as they stuck to them, they should be okay. Superman seemed more interested in Karen than anything else. After tonight he most likely never wanted to see her again, so as sad as it was to think, it probably worked out for the best for them. She felt sorry for Karen, but her father had taught her to put emotion aside and focus on the issues at hand.

The main issue was Batman. Helena knew he'd seen Karen go out after Clark. That changed things considerably. He would be very interested in them now. He already suggested he knew quite a bit about Helena Bertinelli, so that name was burned for good. They just needed to get out of the city tomorrow and put some distance between them and him. Helena knew he wouldn't give up, but she'd been trained by the best, an older, wiser Batman so it was a game she felt she was ready for. What she needed to do now was be prepared if he came at Karen instead. Putting herself in his place, that's what she would do. He would try and confront Karen, see if he could get her to make a mistake. Divide and conquer would be his strategy, Helena was sure of it.

She heard the knock at the door just as the shower stopped in the bathroom. It was probably room service with the tea, so Helena went over to answer it. When she opened the door, she found Bruce Wayne standing there. Helena closed the door on instinct.

"Shit!"

He knocked again. Thinking on the fly, Helena undid a few buttons on her dress and messed up her hair. That creepy vibe came back as she opened the door again.

"Mr. Wayne, you surprised me,' she offered. "I wasn't expecting visitors, as you can see."

She gestured to her dress and then quickly redid the buttons. God, I'm going to have nightmares about this for weeks, she thought.

Bruce smiled. He knew she was lying. He'd seen in the brief glimpse the first time her dress had been buttoned. He let it go.

"Surprising you was the plan, Miss Bertinelli,' he said. "So who is the tea for?"

The room service cart sat next to him. Before Helena could answer Karen called out from the bathroom.

"Is that the tea?"

"Um, yes, sort of, 'Helena nervously replied. She glanced at Bruce and he smiled even more.

"Are you going to let me in?" He asked. "It sounds like Miss Starr is ready for her tea."

Helena didn't know what else to do, so she reluctantly stepped aside and Bruce pushed the cart into the room. He didn't act like he intended to leave, so Helena finally closed the door.

"I'd say make yourself at home, but you seem to be already doing that,' she snidely said to him.

"I thought we could all have a chat." He replied.

"About what?" Helena asked.

"Yes, about what, Mr. Wayne?'"

Helena and Bruce turned to see Karen standing in the bathroom doorway. She was wearing a hotel bathrobe and drying her hair with a towel.

"Good of you to join us, Miss Starr." Bruce said. "Tea?"

He poured a cup and held it out for her. Karen slowly walked over and took it.

"Thank you, but what did you want to talk about Mr. Wayne?' Karen replied. "It's rather late and as you can see we weren't expecting visitors."

Karen had realized Bruce Wayne was at the door just before Helena opened it. She was shocked and flustered, but unlike her first meeting with Clark she had a moment to pull herself together before exiting the bathroom. Back home, Batman had always intimidated her more than she wanted to admit, but this wasn't back home and this wasn't the same Batman.

"I thought the three of us could talk about tonight." Bruce informed her.

"What about it?' Helena asked.

"Did you want tea too, Miss Bertinelli? I usually have a butler for this, but some times you have to adapt on the fly,' Bruce replied.

"No, just an explanation."

Bruce was staying in character, the playboy billionaire, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try and get as much information as he could out of this visit. If these two were involved in the theft of his money, he wanted to know. It was a risk coming as Bruce Wayne, but until he had more evidence Batman would remain as his hole card.

"We never got to finish our discussion, Miss Bertinelli,' Bruce explained. "You know about how Interpol is looking for you or should I say someone with your exact name."

"I'm sure it's just a coincidence,' Helena offered.

"Of course." Bruce nodded. "A coincidence is one explanation, but a coincidence seems unlikely to be the most probably, doesn't it?"

Before Helena could reply, Karen spoke up.

"We might as well tell him the truth, Helena."

"What?"

"Mr. Wayne,' Karen continued. "Helena's real name isn't Bertinelli, as you might have guessed. She works for Starr Industries as my head of security. Corporate espionage is all the rage lately, as someone in your position is surely aware."

"Yes, I am aware, Miss Starr,' Bruce replied. "We've had a security breach recently at Wayne too. So you can see why I'd be interested in Miss Bertinelli showing up at the trade show."

"It's not my real name,' Helena said. "It's a ruse to flush out the real Miss Bertinelli."

She had wondered where Karen was going when she started, but now picked up on something they'd discussed months ago. Helena being head of security would explain her changing names as often as she did, if someone ever caught on to it. It seemed Bruce Wayne had caught on.

"So you're not the real Helena Bertinelli?" He asked.

"No, but I believe she is involved in some of the security problems at Starr so I thought I could get her to show herself if I pretended to be her,' Helena explained.

"Someone with her ego probably couldn't resist finding out who was impersonating her,' Karen added. Helena gave her quick snide look, but didn't openly object. She didn't have that big an ego, she thought.

Bruce had to admit their explanation seemed plausible, a bit too plausible for his tastes. They were good, but he believed he was better.

"So what is your real name, Miss Bertinelli?" He asked.

"West, Helena West,' she replied. "I have a brother named Wallis you could check if you don't believe me, but no one's seen him in almost 52 weeks."

"A whole year missing and you're not concerned?"

"If you knew Wally, you'd understand,' Helena explained. "He's always running off somewhere. I'm sure he'll turn up sooner or later."

That was a new twist, Karen thought, but Helena always was good at thinking on the fly. That was part of the ego thing with her. She'd have to ask later who Wally West was, but right now she wanted to turn the questions more towards Bruce.

"Isn't it a little odd that the head of a corporation as large as yours, Mr. Wayne, is doing this? Are you an amateur detective or something, besides being a billionaire?"

Bruce smiled.

"No, of course not, but I am interested when my money is involved,' He offered. "I thought since I was here, I might do a little poking around."

"What if I'd actually been the real Helena Bertinelli, Mr. Wayne?" Helena asked. "Aren't you running a big risk by confronting me by yourself? I might have overpowered you and held you for ransom? Or beat you to a pulp or even killed you when you confronted me? Isn't this a little dangerous for you, Mr. Wayne?"

Helena was back to playing the game now. Since she knew his secret identity, but he didn't know she knew, she had an advantage on him. She wanted to see him explain this all away.

"I studied a little judo,' Bruce offered. "I know a few moves. If it came to that, I thought I could use them to escape and call in my security."

Karen moved closer to him.

"That might have worked against one of us, Mr. Wayne, but two of us seems like a really big risk, doesn't it?"

Bruce saw what they were doing and smiled. The two women were now standing between him and the door. If it came to it, he was pretty sure he could handle them both, but that wasn't how he wanted things to go down. Flashing his best playboy smile at the two of them, he waved his hand in front of him.

"The hotel staff knows I'm here, along with a few other people, Miss Starr,' Bruce replied. "Surely two young women as lovely as you wouldn't take advantage of me, would you?"

There was a hint at something more in his tone. Karen did her best not to smile. Helena on the other hand, felt grossed out by the thought he'd just hit on her. Definitely going to have nightmares now.

"No, we wouldn't,' she said rather quickly.

'Good to know,' Bruce replied. "Besides, you seemed interested in Clark Kent tonight, Miss Starr."

"I wouldn't say that,' Karen snapped.

"I couldn't help noticing you followed him outside,' Bruce explained. "You didn't return, so you can see what people might think."

"People would be wrong,' Karen replied. "How do you know Clark Kent, Mr. Wayne? I don't imagine you two run in the same circles."

"We met at a press conference,' Bruce offered. "How about you, Miss Starr? How did you get so friendly with a reporter like Kent?"

"We're not friendly,' Karen flatly stated. "I met Mr. Kent in Metropolis when I heard he might be doing a story on my company. Given the nature of his usual reports I wanted to make sure he got the record straight. It didn't go well, Mr. Wayne."

Karen left out the part about it being she that was sort of the problem with that meeting.

"When I saw him at the trade show I decided to give him a piece of my mind. That's why I followed him out,' she explained.

"I noticed you didn't return."

"Let's just say Mr. Kent's manners hadn't improved,' Karen offered. "I just decided to head back to the hotel as the night was already ruined."

Bruce considered everything she had said. It sounded reasonable. From his dealings with Clark, he knew he could be difficult, especially with big business types, but he had a feeling there was more to the story then she was letting on. From his own observance of the two, they seemed to be deliberately ignoring each other all night. He could sense hostility between them, but there was something else. She clearly wasn't going to admit it tonight, so he would have to ask Clark next time he saw him.

Bruce looked at the two women and had to admit their stories seemed perfect. They had a reasonable explanation for everything. That was the problem for him, though; they had an explanation for everything. It's the basic mistake people who aren't used to lying make. They try and explain everything. The truth doesn't work that way. The truth is messy and people don't always remember the details. Most people couldn't tell you what they had for dinner three nights ago, let alone remember every detail of some past event. No, these two were hiding something, now he was sure of it. Tonight, though, wasn't the night to press them. He had his identity to maintain, so it would have to wait.

"Well, I guess that answers that,' Bruce said, glancing at his watch. "I guess I should leave the detective work to the professionals, shouldn't I?"

"Do you know anyone that can do that sort of thing?" Helena asked, a small smile on her lips.

"I'll have to check around,' Bruce replied. "I'm sorry to inconvenience you both, but I feel so much better after hearing your explanations. I can see you're ready to retire so I won't keep you another minute."

He moved towards the door. For a brief moment he wonder if they would try and stop him, but then they stepped aside. He smiled as he opened the door and turned to look at both of them.

"Sweet dreams."

With that Bruce closed the door and was gone. Karen took a deep breath and dropped down into the sofa.

"God, I was sure he was on to us,' she exclaimed.

"He is,' Helena replied.

* * *

Metropolis – A week later

Even the best of us have bad days. If you were actually happy and upbeat all the time, most people would think you're an imbecile or worse, insane. We all have bad days. Things don't always go right. We all get angry, confused, pissed and troubled from time to time. Sure, maybe not all at once, but there are times when it feels like that. Clark Kent was having one of those days.

The night with Karen may have brought it to the surface, but other factors soon added to his mood. The biggest issue he was facing was who was he anymore? He seemed to be caught between two worlds. He'd started out just to be a guy fighting for the common man in the streets, a champion for those that didn't have a voice. It was a tee shirt and jeans for a uniform, but now the world was changing all around him.

He now knew he was from a planet called Krypton. The amazing suit he wore now was from that homeworld. He was spending more of his time with others like him in the Justice League. People looked at them like some New Gods sent to save Earth from all threats. Clark wondered who was he supposed to be now? Was he meant to be a giant, global, inspirational figure? Was he supposed to be on the streets helping people or in the sky fighting alien invasions?

If that wasn't enough, his other outlet, writing as Clark Kent was slowly being undermined by the take-over of the paper. He was currently in the Suicide Slums doing research for an article, but he wondered if anyone would ever get to read it? It seemed his new boss, Morgan Edge and the other city leaders had a grant vision of a Metropolis Renaissance and were moving to make it a reality. Whole neighborhoods were being torn down and new modern buildings put up in their place. Metropolis would be the City of Tomorrow they proclaimed. Unfortunately, that city of tomorrow didn't include those in the middle or lower incomes.

It seemed the city leaders strategy was to act as if those people didn't exist. If they didn't exist, then there was no reason to worry about them. The poor would just disappear in this view of things. The reality was something far different. With each old building they tore down, they reduced the affordable housing not just for the poor in the city, but the middle class as well. Descent, hard working people were being pushed further and further away into smaller and smaller areas. Little ghettos out of the way, so the rest of the citizens didn't have to see the poor or working class.

These were the people Clark had set out from the beginning to help, both as a reporter and as Superman. He'd written a series of articles about what was going on but with each story they were moved further and further back into the paper. He'd gone to ask Perry what was going on. It had been the new parent company's advisor that had explained it to him. She said people were tired of reading stories like his. She even had a clever euphemism for it, 'Compassion Fatigue.' People didn't want to read about some poor schmuck that lost his job and was having trouble making ends meet, she said. They wanted action, scandal, gossip when they got home and read the paper or watched the news. Too much reality tends to turn the readers off, she said. Clark had pointed out that the 'news' is reality and those were real people suffering out there. She said she understood and didn't want to interfere with the paper, just help it become more successful.

Clark's articles no longer made the front paper or even the front section. They were relegated to the local news and on the inside pages along with the "what's happening in Metropolis this week' column in the paper. So again, if it's not on the front page, it doesn't exist, just like the poor people that were being squeezed out every day.

He turned to his blog, hoping the story would get out and maybe people would see what was really happening. It was frustrating though, for it was hard to gauge just how much impact it was having. It certainly wasn't getting to the eyes of the people that made the decisions, that he was sure of.

All these factors seemed to combine together. He was frustrated, angry and confused. He doubled his effort to expose what was really happening down here, but as fate would have it, the Justice League called. He didn't want to answer it. He had important business here, but it kept ringing. He finally answered. _A giant army of killer robots was attacking Dallas, come immediately_ the message said. Dman it, Clark thought, killer robots, I don't have time for this shit! Grumbling to himself, Clark answered, saying he would be there in a few minutes.

* * *

Dallas

Five Justice League members stood in between the city and the giant robots. There were over a hundred of them and they were destroying everything in their path. Clark arrived about the same time as Batman and found the others discussing how they should handle the threat.

"Civilians are our first priority," Arthur said. "We need to keep their safety in mind."

"They seemed to be running on some sort of loop program,' Victor offered. "I can't get in to change it, but it basically wants them to destroy everything."

Hal and Barry had been offering suggestions, when Hal noticed Superman hovering above.

"Finally decided to arrive, huh?" He joked. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess you don't have any opinion on how we should handle this?"

Clark just gave him a cold look. It was Diana that spoke up.

"Are they alive?" She asked.

"No,' Victor replied.

"Then I can use my sword and destroy them,' she said.

"I like that strategy.' Clark said as he looked at Hal.

"Well, I'm all behind the Princess too,' Hal replied. He gave a smile. "Or in front of her if that's what she wants."

"I don't have time for this,' Clark said and then took off at the robots. Arthur and the others called for him to wait, but Clark wasn't listening. The anger and frustration that had been building all week finally had a target right in front of him, the robots. As the others tried to play catch up with him, Clark waded into the thick of things. The robots had some sort of blasters and they fired repeatedly at him. It stung, but he didn't stop. What it did do was make him even more pissed.

While Diana joined him in the destruction of the robots, the others stopped. They had always known their teammate was strong, but what they were seeing now was something else. Power, speed and the array of abilities at his command were breath taking. Against him the robots had no chance. Even Diana stopped as the destruction he created was beyond anything she had seen before. Annihilation was the only word for what he was doing to the robots.

"He's out of control,' Hal said.

"Who's going to stop him?" Barry replied. "I mean look at what he's doing. Wow!"

'We are his teammates, it's up to us,' Arthur weighted in. "Diana, can you use your lasso to reign him in?"

"Yes, of course,' she replied.

"Once he's in her lasso, I'll move in with my ring,' Hal added.

"That's not a good idea,' Batman offered, but the others were already moving.

Clark was letting all his frustration out. He tore the robots limb from limb and then melted the larger pieces with his vision. His fist drove through their heavily plated chests and pulled out wires. Nothing in this world it seemed could stop him. The lasso wrapping around his arms and pinning them to his sides said otherwise. He turned towards his teammates; the anger still pumping through is veins.

"Wonder Woman, get this off me!" he growled.

"Not until you calm down, Kal,' she replied, holding tight on the other end.

"Finally someone else is caught in that thing,' Hal said with a smile. "I won't be the only one that says some embarrassing truth, will I, Superman?"

Clark gritted his teeth as he fought against the lasso's power. He glared up at Hal.

"You want some truth, Lantern? Wonder Woman thinks you're a toad and is sick of your lame pick up lines! How's that for truth, flyboy?"

Hal almost blushed as he looked at Barry.

"I think that lasso hates me."

Clark was still struggling against the power of the lasso. Diana held on for all she was worth.

"Your friends in the military tried tying me up, Diana,' He growled. "I didn't like it then and I don't like it now. Get this off me!"

"Not until you tell us what is wrong with you!" She demanded.

"You want to know what's wrong with me? I'm pissed!"

In one incredibly fast move, Clark grabbed hold of the lasso and pulled. The force knocked Diana off her feet and she went tumbling towards him, still hanging on to the lasso. Her body made full impact against his shoulder. She was momentarily stunned and the lasso slipped from her fingers. As Clark slipped it off, he glanced down at what he'd done. He was just about to say something to her, when a series of green chains enveloped him.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Superman, but you're done,' Hal firmly said.

"You never learn, do you?" Clark said in a mocking tone. "It didn't work on her, what chance do you think it has on me?"

He flexed and shattered the chains. He was holding Hal by the throat in the next moment.

"You should stick to those aliens in space you're always bragging about,' he whispered. "The one down here on Earth is a little out of your class."

He flicked an unconscious Hal away and then turned towards Barry. The Flash was moving towards Clark, but stopped when he pointed his finger at him.

"Barry, don't,' Clark warned. "You're not that fast."

Barry wasn't sure what to do. He stood there just looking at Superman. A batarang suddenly exploded against Clark's chest. He turned to see Batman, Aquaman and Cyborg moving towards him. Arthur fired his trident at him, but Clark snatched it out of the air. He looked at it for a moment and then used his eyes to heat up one of the large boulders near him. When it glowed red, he thrust the trident into it. With a quick breath he cooled it.

"Now you can have your sword in the stone moment just like the original Arthur, Arthur,' Clark growled.

Another batarang hit him, but it didn't make a dent. He turned towards Bruce.

"I don't think anything you have in your belt is going to work,' he offered.

"Karen Starr,' Bruce replied. A cold look came over Clark's features.

"Always the Batman first, huh?"

Bruce reached for the buckle on his belt, but a flash of intense heat came and melted the release. He glanced at Clark.

"Why don't we keep what's in your lead lined belt buckle as a surprise for another day, friend."

Clark a step towards them, but then crumbled to the ground grabbing his ears. Cyborg was emitting an ultrasonic frequency so high up and so loud only Clark could hear it. He screamed in pain and glared at Cyborg.

"You have to stop this," Victor said. "It's gone too far already. I won't let you continue. You'll have to destroy me if that's what you want."

Clark looked at him for a moment, the pain intense and almost overwhelming. He saw the expression on Victor's face and knew with one blast of his eyes he could stop the noise. That would most likely damage Victor severely. That wasn't what Clark wanted. None of this was what he wanted. He looked at all of his teammates and saw what he'd already done. The anger slipped away and regret rushed in.

"I'm sorry."

He took off, so fast he was out of sight in the next moment.


	12. Chapter 12

Everyday is Tuesday

Metropolis

Big Brother isn't watching you. Everyone is watching you. They are also watching everyone else. Every phone has a camera and video, so the idea of a private moment is slowly vanishing. Cameras watch you at the store, the bank, the ATM, school and on the street. You can't get away from them. Everyday more and more cameras pop up all around you. The moment something happens it's on YouTube and splashed all over the web. No one it seems can be a dick in private anymore. Everybody gets to see it. If you fall down at your wedding, several cameras catch every embarrassing moment. They might even try and sell it later to one the reality shows. Bloopers used to be a term just for famous people making mistakes in public. Now everyone is fair game.

The grainy, video of Superman's confrontation with the Justice League was everywhere. It brought the usual condemnations from the talking heads in the media. They were mostly directed at Superman, but several took the opportunity to rail against the Justice League, the self appointed protectors on high. It seemed the only thing people love more than a scandal was rehashing a scandal in detail.

Clark was finished for the day. He sat in a diner having a bowl of soup, vegetable beef, a sandwich, a club and a cup of coffee. He was alone. He wasn't angry any more. Depressed, confused, yeah, but not angry, not the way he'd been angry. He regretted what happened between him and the other Justice League members, but he hadn't apologized to them. He wasn't sure he owed them an apology.

But he would apologize.

Clark had agreed to be part of the team, even if it was in the background. That meant he had responsibilities to it. The League worked because of its reputation, along with its results. If the reputation was damaged, it made it harder for them to do their job. Since he played a part of damaging it, he would make amends. He would say all the right things and hopefully they would move on. There was no I in team as Hall had pointed out on numerous occasions.

The incident still troubled Clark. It wasn't even what most would think that bothered and sadden him. He knew he'd let his temper get the best of him and he wasn't happy about that. It had just been a really shitty week and he finally went off. He wasn't proud of it, but it happened to the best of us. He hopefully would learn to control his emotions better in the future.

What still bothered and sadden him though, was his teammates reaction. He'd been fighting at their side for almost five years now. While he wasn't close with any of them, he thought they knew him a little. When he cut loose, really cut loose on those robots, his teammates had reacted like everyone else always had. He scared them. Their first thought wasn't to talk to him or even ask for an explanation, but to control him. If even his fellow superheroes were frightened of him, what chance did he ever have of really being accepted? If they of all people couldn't see past what he could do, then he was more alone than he thought.

Maybe if he'd been more open with them from the beginning it might have helped. He doubted it. Things might have gone smoother, but eventually something would cause them to have that same look in their eyes that they had outside of Dallas. They would know that if he really wanted to, there was nothing they could do to stop him. If it had been his intention, they would have all been dead within a matter of moments. He could tell them he would never kill and they might even accept it, but in the back of their minds they would always know he could. That was the kind of power that made people scared, even heroes it seemed. Now that they knew, they would always wonder what if?

The answer to that question would trouble them even more.

So again he was alone. His experience with Karen had shown him that even his own kind wanted nothing to do with him. He was still attracted to her, but the sting of being rejected overrode that. He'd opened himself up to her, been vulnerable and she'd pulled away. He wouldn't make that same mistake again. The sadness over his encounter with Karen seemed to dominate his feelings. It wasn't just that she was a beautiful woman, either. She was like him, a Kryptonian. She was his best chance at knowing who his people actually were. He could read about them and watch every hologram, but that would only be the knowledge of a book or movie. To actually talk with a living, breathing Kryptonian and find out what they were really like was so tantalizing, but apparently not to be.

He knew what having sex with a Kryptonian felt like. It was unique, amazing, bittersweet and ultimately so sad, he wasn't sure he wanted to keep the memory. He would though, just like every other memory. Maybe that was the curse, rather then the blessing of being Kryptonian. You remember everything. Maybe the weight of remembering contributed to their destruction in the end. Clark didn't know and it seemed he wasn't going to get the chance to know.

So here he sat, alone, a television screen above the counter replaying the scene from Dallas. The other members of the Justice League were probably already meeting to decide what they ought do about him. He should go and make things right. He should be apologizing at this very minute and saying all the things that would defuse the situation. When the waitress asked if he wanted a refill on his coffee, Clark nodded. He would go and do all that, just not right now. It was the necessary thing to do, but he wondered if it was the right thing. He didn't feel like he needed to apologize. In fact, part of him thought they should apologize for not trusting him. It might sound petty, but he didn't feel like doing the 'right thing' this time.

He would though. Life was lonely enough; he didn't need anyone else being afraid of him.

* * *

Rome

The alley off the main thoroughfare was like something out of a labyrinth. Twisting and turning through neighborhoods, till you were either completely lost or found what you were looking for. The neon sign only worked half the time, so it blinked at irregular intervals, **_Martedì_** in pale blue letters. A very large man dressed in all black stood at the door. The thing everyone noticed first about him was his nose. It was by any standards, enormous. It had been broken so many times; it took on an almost Cubist painting quality. It was as if you could see it from four different angles all at once. He had duel roles, bouncer and gatekeeper. No one knew his name; he was just the guy at the door or just the Guy. He didn't pretend to be anything but he was. His judgment was final.

Perspective admittants would stand in front of him and wait for a decision. Either the door would open or he would take a long drag on his ever present cigarette and give you the slow shake of his head. It was that simple. You were boiled down to your essence in one look. His judgment was final, worthy or unworthy. Many had tried to figure out what his criteria was, but it seemed to have no rhythm or reason. Being the most famous or beautiful was no guarantee you would be admitted.

There were of course ways you could ensure you weren't admitted. Talking too much or pretending like you were friends with the Guy almost didn't get you even a glance before you were rejected. Causing any problems or trying to bring in people that had already been turned down got your turned away. Once you were admitted, you were always admitted, as long as you didn't break the Guy's rules. Some people had mused that the club was so popular just because of the Guy at the door. It was like an affirmation that you were cool to be allowed in by the Guy. It wasn't about money or looks or fame or even connections, it was just you were cool or you weren't. The Guy was the arbiter of cool and everyone wanted his seal of approval.

Everyone whether they admit it or not wants to be thought of as cool. Your dear sweet grandma, she likes to think that even at her age she'd rocking the culottes and plastic crocks, with the sun visor look. She'll stop before she leaves the house for the early bird special and glance into the mirror one last time just to be sure. Yeah, she looked cool. Your Mom and Dad, as hard as it is for you to believe, they still think their cool. When you're not in the car and unfortunately some times when you are, they'll crank up the Whitesnake and rock it out. As they sing, _"here I go again on my own!"_, in their mind they're cool. Everyone wants to be cool. Unfortunately most of us aren't. So even when it's just a 'Guy' on the door at some back alley club saying it, we like it more than we want to admit.

The club was loud and dark. It was little more than a square dance floor wedged into a rectangular space. A bar and some tables and chairs surrounded the dance floor on all sides. It was wall to wall with people. Like the guy at the door, the club knew what it was and what it wasn't. If you wanted to dance or drink, you found the right place. If you wanted to eat, well, go someplace else. The walls of the club weren't lined with knick-knacks or signs. They were minimalist, Bauhaus, just the exposed brick and mortar. The tables and chairs were plain, dark wood. If you were looking for some large cushioned booth in a V.I.P. champagne room set off from everyone else, well, again, go someplace else.

The pulsing beat of the music seemed to reverberate through everyone in the crowded small club. Simple track lighting on the ceiling flickered and flashed randomly over the writhing crowd, but that was all the decorations. As the night went on and the dance floor got more crowded the intensity seemed to climb. It was as if they were all part of a collective wave rushing towards the shore. The beat made them one, driving them faster and further until the room seemed to vibrate all around them.

Karen and Helena were at the center of the dance floor, part of the whole. Sweat glistened off their skin as they moved to the beat, partners coming and going but the dance continued. To the unobservant eye they were similar. They were just two young American women partying it up on holiday. Those that took a closer look, though, saw they were a study in contrasts.

Helena certainly drew her share of attention. The best way to describe her dancing was polished. Her movements were controlled and precise. Her style would remind you of choreography, equally comfortable at the ballroom or the discothèque. There was a fluid, sensual grace inherited from her mother, but the overtones of her father were there too. Her eyes never closed. They were always open, watching, observing, taking in faces, angles, and always aware of her immediate environment. By now it was second nature to her, so ingrained she didn't even have to think about doing it.

Karen, on the other hand, her eyes were closed. She seemed lost in the moment, giving herself over to the beat and the atmosphere. Her dancing had more of an impromptu immediacy, as if she didn't know from one moment to the next what she would do. The people around her sometimes didn't even seem to register. Dance partners might last for a song or two and then be replaced, but she hardly seemed aware of it.

They had been friends since they were both seventeen and knew each other better than just about anyone. The last moments in their world and the shift to this one were traumatic for both of them. They talked about it less now then when they first arrived. Perhaps it was their different upbringings, but they viewed it completely different. Helena was a realist. The possibility of getting back seemed rather remote to her. Even if they did get back, there was no telling how bad things had gotten in the five years they'd been gone. They were here and probably were going to remain here. She adapted to this fact and moved forward.

Karen on the other hand was more of a dreamer, Helena thought. She believed that anything was possible. Getting home was her focus, no matter how long it took. She didn't see this as the world they were apart of now. This was just a setback, a bit of a sidetrack and eventually they would get to where they belonged. Helena had stopped arguing the point and just accepted this as part of Karen's nature. The thing that did fascinate her was Karen in a club. It seemed to be the one place she felt free. She had always been a bit of a flirt and party girl back home, much to her cousin's distress. Since they'd come to this world, it was only out in clubs like this, that Helena saw that side of Karen. Oh, she could still flirt when needed, but that had a more calculated tone to it. Out here on the dance floor or at the bar she almost seemed to accept this as their home now. Why this way, Helena hadn't figured out.

She asked Karen once, but her reply was that she just liked to dance. Whatever the real reason was, Helena at the moment didn't care. Karen had been moody and depressed since the night of the trade show. If going out to a few clubs could lift her spirits, then they both won. For tonight, they could just be two young women in their early twenties having fun. Still, as Helena glanced over at Karen one more time, she couldn't quite figure out what was going through her mind. She seemed so focused on the dancing, as if it were the only thing in the world.

Karen was unaware of Helena's concerns. Her eyes were closed as she danced to the beat, letting it guide her movements. She sensed all the people around her, but they were secondary. Out here on the dance floor she didn't have to think about everything else. She could just get lost in the music. This felt safe. In the world of the nightclub, she could temporarily act as if everything were all right. She could be herself. It was all transitory. The men she met tonight, danced and flirted with, she would probably never see again.

There was no attachment involved.

That was the one thing Karen didn't want, attachments to this world. She'd already lost her whole world and those closest to her; she didn't want to go through that again. It was the reason she was so focused on getting back. Her last memories of home were watching Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman die. There had been nothing she could do. If she could get them back, then maybe, just maybe they could arrive before all that happened. Maybe she could save them this time.

To form any attachments to this world felt like a betrayal to her own world. It was like a signal that she was giving up. She just couldn't do that, for if she did, then they were really gone forever. So to her this world, which was so similar, yet so different, was just a temporary stop until she figured out how to leave. It meant she would beg, borrow, flirt and steal if she had to, to get the things she needed to get back home.

On the dance floor, everything else slipped away for a while. She could be anywhere, even back home on the dance floor. This club could be its own little universe and all her problems where stopped outside by the Guy at the door. The interesting, pretty faces all around her were just flickering pictures she wouldn't have to see again. It was a moment in time and once it was over she didn't need to look back.

The only dark cloud on this horizon was Clark. Karen hadn't been able to put that night out of her mind. She'd seen the video of him with the League and immediately wondered what part she played in it. She felt guilty and depressed over her actions. It seemed even the Guy at the door couldn't keep those from following her in.


	13. Chapter 13

Fizz2.0

The Watchtower

"We need to address this. Make a statement to the media."

It was Batman that spoke.

The others were around the central table. Superman hovered a few feet away. The tension was palpable. The memories of Dallas were still fresh in everyone's memory.

"Say we had a disagreement on tactics, but we're still united in our purpose,' Clark suggested. He'd been going back and forth with what he was going to say all week. An apology was what they wanted, but maybe it was pride but he didn't want to give them one. He didn't think he owed them one. He knew the simplest thing would be to apologize and smooth everything over. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. He knew he couldn't put this meeting off any longer, so he came, but the words just didn't want to pass his lips.

"Are we?" It was Barry that spoke. "We didn't seem to be very united in Dallas."

"You turned on us,' Hal added.

"Only after you tried to restrain me,' Clark replied.

"You seemed out of control, Superman,' Arthur offered.

"I was having a bad week."

"And that's your excuse?" Batman asked.

"Yes."

"That gets us nowhere,' Hal said in frustration. "We're supposed to be teammates here. We shouldn't have to look over our shoulder wondering if one of us is going to turn on the others."

"I didn't turn on anyone until you turned on me,' Clark pointed out. "I've been hunted, trapped, restrained, tortured and experimented on. Have any of you? It happened once and I promised myself it wouldn't happen again. I admit, I went off on those robots and let my anger overtake me."

"But then you turned on us, your teammates,' Hal said.

"You attacked me first, remember? Diana's lasso and then your chains, I reacted. I regret it came to that."

"Perhaps we did overreact,' Arthur suggested.

"Some of us,' Batman added.

"What about the cause of your anger?' Diana spoke up for the first time.

"That's private, but it won't effect anything again,' Clark replied.

"How can we be sure of that? You're hardly a fountain of information,' Hal observed. "Most times you say nothing and just hover in the background."

"You'll just have to trust me,' Clark suggested. "Just as I have to trust all of you. Being teammates, that seems like something we should have. If I've been part of the reason why we don't, I'll try and correct it."

"That's easy to say,' Barry replied. "But trust is earned. Most of us don't know anything about you. Oh, I'm sure Batman does and probably Victor, but that leaves the rest of us in the dark here."

"He does have a point, Superman,' Arthur added. "You speak of trust, yet you hide who you are from us. Most of us have been open about who we are. Just you and Batman have not."

"If we're going to be a team and trust each other, we should be able to trust each other with anything,' Hal stated. "I've seen who Batman is, but you're still a mystery, Superman.

"You know who Batman is?" Barry asked. "How come you didn't tell me? I thought we were friends?"

"Not the time, Barry,' Hal grumbled.

"I have a secret identity to protect those around me,' Clark explained. "Arthur, you and Diana don't need one. Diana's friendly with the government through Steve Trevor. They've come to accept and trust her. Hal, you're a Lantern, so trust is implied. Barry, your identity isn't known, but the police trust you in your town. Victor isn't able to have a secret identity yet. As for Batman, he has his own reasons. Mine are simple. I'm still seen as a threat by the government and the military. I thought of giving up my secret identity and just being Superman all the time, but I learned that's not the way. I keep it secret to protect those that know me. I owe them that much so they don't become targets for being my friend."

"Okay, but what about calling me a toad,' Hal asked.

It was Diana that spoke up.

"The lasso compelled him to speak the truth, which I believe you asked for,' She explained.

"So you're saying what he said was the truth, you think I'm a toad?"

"I wouldn't have characterized it that way,' Diana replied. "But I do grow weary of you hitting on me."

"Why doesn't that make me feel better?"

"Can we stick to the issue, please?" Arthur scolded.

Victor was he youngest member and he hadn't spoken until now. he voiced what many were thinking.

"You could have killed us all in Dallas,' Victor said. "I think that's what has everyone worried."

The others looked at him, surprised by his statement.

"I don't kill, friend or foe,' Clark replied. "Even as angry as I was, I knew I would have to hurt you, maybe beyond repair to stop you. I wouldn't and won't do that. "

"That's an easy promise to make,' Batman replied. "It's a bit harder to keep."

"I keep it for the same reason you do, Batman,' Clark stated. "We're different in most things, but not that."

A moment of silence fell over the room. The issues weren't going to be resolved at one meeting and the longer this went on the worse it would get.

"Then I think we're finished here,' Batman suggested. "Arthur, you and Diana can issue a statement to the press if you like. A difference in tactics, but all is well."

As the members started to get up, Barry couldn't help by ask a question.

"So we just put him kicking our ass behind us?"

"He didn't kick my ass,' Hal objected.

"Yeah, he did, Hal,' Barry replied.

"I was there,' Victor said, putting his hand on Hal's shoulder. "That was the definition of an ass kicking, Hal."

Barry turned to Victor and smiled.

"You saw it too, huh?"

"Hard not to,' Victor replied.

"I was just heading for something to drink, want to join me?"

"Sure."

Hal stood with his mouth open in shock as Barry and Victor walked away together towards the mess hall.

"Hey!" Hal finally called and then went after them.

"With that, meeting adjourned,' Arthur added.

* * *

Stop. Rewind.

* * *

Clark moved over and sat down at the table with the others. The last to join them was Batman. Arthur as the nominal leader of the group began.

"We need to talk about what happened in Dallas and what it means."

Clark decided just to plunge again and get on with the apologies.

"I regret my part in this and want to apologize,' he offered. "I let personal issues effect how I work with this team and again I'm sorry for that. It won't happen again."

* * *

Stop. Rewind.

* * *

Scenarios like these had been playing out in Clark's mind all week. He seemed to go back and forth on how to handle it. As he entered the main conference room and saw the others waiting, he was still wrestling with what would be the best way. Apologizing would be the simplest, but that was just pasting wallpaper over a hole. The hole was still there you just couldn't see it. Defiance was another way to go about it. Offer then no apology and accuse them of turning on him first. While this might sooth his pride it wouldn't solve anything either.

Instead of standing in the background, this time he took a chair at the table. The others followed his lead. He quickly looked at each of them as he decided what he was going to do. These were good people, heroes. The reason they were all part of this was a noble one. It was worth saving, but it meant something's needed to change.

Clark realized he was going to have to be a part of that. He would have to do something he'd been reluctant to do up to this point. He was going to have to take the lead. Apologies might have their place later, but right now he realized they all needed to do what they hadn't in Dallas. They needed to talk to each other.

Arthur as the nominal leader started the meeting.

"Thank you for coming,' he said. "I believe we all know why we're here. What happened in Dallas needs to be addressed."

The others nodded in agreement.

"Yes it does,' Clark replied. "I told you once I was happy with how you were running things and if I had any issues I would tell you. I think what happened brought some issues to the surface. I played a part in them and will take responsibility for them. I won't ask you or Diana to make a statement; I'll do it myself."

The others were obviously surprised by this.

"That's fine, but what will you say?" Hal asked.

"I'll say like all groups we had a disagreement,' Clark offered. "Hopefully, I'll also be able to say we've worked it out."

"How do you propose we do that?" Batman asked.

"By what I think we all should have done in Dallas, talking,' Clark explained. "I'm here to explain my actions to all of you, but I hope you will all reconsider how you responded."

"Go ahead,' Arthur offered.

"I was having a shitty week and a bad day,' Clark began. "Having powers doesn't change that. It carried over when you called me. I saw those robots and just vented all the anger that had been building up. I was pissed and they happened to be in the way."

"You lost it, Superman,' Hal said. "You were out of control."

"No." Clark replied with a shake of his head. "As Diana asked before it started, they weren't alive. That meant I didn't have to worry about how I dealt with them. Even if I hadn't been there, you would have had to destroy them to stop them. I might have been a little more spectacular and violent about how I did it, but I never lost sight of who was the targets and who wasn't. No civilians were ever in harm's way."

"Yet you lashed out at us,' Barry commented.

"As I said, I was really pissed,' Clark replied. "When Diana's lasso wrapped around me and then Hal's chains, it just fueled my anger. I've been hunted, captured, chained and tortured before, and that all came rushing back to me."

"Still you could have talk to us,' Arthur said. "Explained this then."

"You could have too,' Clark replied.

"He has a point,' Batman said. "We're supposed to be teammates, yet we reacted rather than think it through first. I tried to say it was a bad idea, but once it started I went along with it."

"Why were you so angry, Kal?" Diana asked.

"Things in my personal life haven't exactly been very good lately,' He offered. "I'm not a hero all the time."

The others seemed to consider this for a moment.

"We might have overreacted,' Hal reluctantly said.

"I think we all overreacted," Arthur added. "I also think this speaks to something deeper. While we have been working as a team, we still don't completely trust each other. Some of us have been more open about our identities, but each of us holds back information from the others."

"That's to be expected,' Batman offered. "This is part of what we do, but not the main part. Each of us has a life separate from this one. Trust takes time."

"It does, but as Arthur said, some of us have been more open than others,' Hal replied. "I hear your words, but what do I really know about you or Superman for that matter. He says all the right things when he speaks at all, but mostly he stays in the background. You seem to like the shadows, Batman, but it's the same thing. I don't know him that well, so when I saw him in Dallas, he seemed to be out of control. I reacted, just like I think everyone else did. In hindsight that was probably a bad idea, but it showed just how little we really know about him."

"Some around this table are more comfortable letting people in than others,' Batman said. 'We each have our strengths and weaknesses, but we work as a team when it counts."

"I think the larger point is remembering why we are here,' Arthur said. "We agreed to come together to battle those threats that we couldn't handle alone. On that I believe we have been remarkably successful. From the beginning I think we all saw this as a part-time thing, but five years has taught us there will always be a need for a group like this. Perhaps the flaw is in the structure, not the individuals."

"So what do we do about it?" Victor asked.

"I think we need to trust one another and take if on faith that trust is shared,' Diana suggested. "Faith is believing in things you cannot prove or see. I trust all of you and I have faith that all of you trust me."

"Faith doesn't come easily to some of us, Princess,' Batman remarked.

"Yes and it can be lost just as easily,' she replied. "I have some experience with that. I'm just suggesting that what brought us together hasn't changed for any of us. We fight for a safer and better world. If we can't all have faith in that, then perhaps this group shouldn't continue."

* * *

Berlin

He smelled of mint and tobacco. His eyes were pale gray and seemed to twinkle as he spoke to her. He had an easy smile that only added to his handsome features. He was perfect, exactly what Karen was looking for. They had met earlier in the day, her first in Berlin.

All the clubs in Rome hadn't been able to pull her out of her mood. She knew what Helena was trying to do, but this time it wasn't working. Karen pretended it was for Helena's sake, but doubted she'd fooled her best friend. Thinking a change of scenario might help; Karen had booked a flight to Berlin. Helena was reluctant to part ways, but it was the nature of their friendship. She knew Karen wasn't ready to talk about it and until she was she would just have to wait. They said their goodbyes at the airport and promised to meet up again in a month.

While she wasn't ready to talk about it to anyone else, Karen couldn't avoid thinking about it. Doubts and regrets still lingered from her brief encounter with Clark. The video of his confrontation with the Justice League only intensified these feelings. She wanted to forget him, yet seeing the video made her want to go to him. She was attracted to him, yet wanted to push him away at the same time. It was all jumbled up in her mind and just added to her confusion.

Clark represented everything she had been trying to avoid since she arrived. He was an attachment of the worst kind and potentially the hardest kind to give up. She would give up all attachments to this world sooner or later. Karen knew Helena's feelings on this, but didn't share them. She knew it was possible to get back home, but it was so frustratingly difficult to make it all work. She wouldn't give up, though, that wasn't an option.

Karen just wanted to forget Clark. It had been a one-time thing and it was over. This all sounded good, but she couldn't seem to convince herself. Her issues were different than Helena's. Karen's father had died on Krypton saving her life. Superman in her world was her 40-year-old cousin, and while he and his wife had played surrogate father and mother to her, she never saw them that way. Much like the Supergirl on this world, Karen had grown up on Krypton. She had been a teenager when it was destroyed.

Helena saw this world's Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle as mirror images of her parents back home. When Karen looked at Clark, that wasn't what she saw. They weren't related or cousins, they weren't even from the same universe. He was a Kryptonian man the same age as she was. The attraction felt natural. If their roles had been reversed and he'd arrived in her universe, Karen could admit things would have probably went a lot different between them.

But they weren't in her universe and that was the problem. It was just better to forget him and move on. She'd done enough damage to his life already, best to leave him alone. So when Karl, she thought his name was Karl, had approached her earlier it seemed like the perfect opportunity. He was good looking, funny and charming, just the sort of man she was always attracted to. If she was going to move on, he seemed perfect for that task.

They finished their drinks and headed outside. It was raining, so they huddled together under an umbrella. As they walked closer together, Karl whispered compliments into her ear. Karen smiled at all of them, but the smile didn't seem to reach her eyes. It was after midnight and the rain transformed everything into a rather bleak, gray landscape. Her mood suddenly seemed to fit in with these surroundings.

As they reached a small apartment complex, Karl turned and kissed Karen. She was willing and it was a nice kiss. She could picture in her mind where this was all going. In a few moments they would smile at each other and then head up to his apartment. They would pull each other's clothes off and spend the night together. In the morning they would talk about the night before and then she would leave. She wouldn't see Karl again. No attachments.

As the kiss continued though, Karen's mind drifted back to another kiss. That one was filled with all the emotions this one lacked. Suddenly the prospect of spending the night with Karl depressed Karen to the point that tears welling up in her eyes. He was probably a nice guy and experienced lover. The sex would be good, but it wouldn't be great. All the time it was happening, she would be thinking of someone else. Slowly she stepped away from Karl, the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this to you,' she whispered. "You're a nice guy and don't deserve this. I better go."

Karl started to object, but Karen had already started to jog away from him. He followed, but she lost him after a block or two. Her tears continued as she walked aimlessly in the rain.


	14. Chapter 14

Mood Indigo

"_A little night music"_

Metropolis – After Midnight

A cold, steady rain had been coming down for the last few hours. It soaked everything, washing away the layers of grit and grim accumulated over several days. The apartment's glass doors were opened out onto the tiny balcony. Fresh, damp air gently surged into the room. The frantic drumbeat of the rain hitting the concrete was a soundtrack for the night. Occasionally in the distance, the sound of a lone car splashing through the empty streets drifted through and then disappeared. It was easy to imagine you were the only one in this world tonight.

Clark lay with only a sheet over him, but sleep wouldn't come. The room was in darkness, the streetlight across the way casting teardrop shadows that slithered down the wall like if something out of a Salvador Dali painting. His mind was cluttered with so many thoughts, that seemed to spin and gain velocity the more he tried to sleep. He rolled onto his side, glancing out at the rain before closing his eyes again.

If he let his auditory range extend on nights like this he could almost hear it. The clutter was lessened and for brief flashes he thought he could make out the loneliness in the city. The other solitary individuals struggling in their isolation, yet their voices mute against the din. Those quiet, unfrequented souls were the ones that called to him on nights like this. Their despair felt palpable like an undercurrent no one wanted to acknowledge. The out of sight, out of mind denizens of the city that all the lofty plans seemed to have left out.

Those were the people he'd started out to be a champion for. He wanted to be a voice where they were voiceless. Yet now, five years into it, he realized they weren't isolated to just one city or even one country. He was beginning to understand the full weight of what it meant to be a champion and hero. Perhaps it was just in his nature, but he felt that weight keenly being placed on his broad shoulders.

They had taken the first steps at the meeting. They had talked, really talked for the first time about what it was they were created with the Justice League. They were all noble goals each of them spoke of, yet as he listen Clark realized changes were going to have to be made. It seemed they were just starting to glimpse what they might one day be able to accomplish, yet so many questions and changes remained in front of them. The biggest changes would have to come from him. Even standing in the background he still cast the largest shadow. At the few press conferences he attended, it was Arthur or Diana that spoke, yet he could feel every eye eventually drift over to the S on his chest.

At first he thought this was just out of curiosity. He was the alien amongst them. The fear was there, but more and more he was noticing something else. In every story about the League, his name was always first or second. He had always been the lightening rod, but now it seemed he was becoming the face of the League. How people saw him tended to influence how they saw the group. He didn't want the spotlight, yet it seemed to be finding him just the same. It appeared the role he was being cast into was the face and leader of the Justice League by the public at large.

He could deny it and fight it, but once people form an opinion it was very hard to change their minds. It was ironic really; the League already had its alphas, Arthur, Diana and Bruce. Each had a natural ability, almost ingrained in them for leadership. Yet in Bruce's case he was unwilling to be the face of the League or in Arthur and Diana's the public just didn't see them that way.

Clark believe Bruce was the real leader of the group, but the nature of who he was, the Batman, meant he always had to stay in the shadows. To step into the light meant to demystify the legend growing up around the Batman. In the light he was just an ordinary man, but in the shadows he could be so many things, a nightmare, a spirit of vengeance, the Dark Knight. The myth had become just as important to what he did as his considerable abilities.

The other two natural leaders faced different challenges. Arthur and Diana were viewed similarly by the public as royalty from some mythical realms. The public didn't know what to make of them. It seemed in many ways they were seen as more alien than the actual alien in the group. Atlantis was like a place out of a science fiction tale, while Themyscira was viewed more like a sort of ship in a bottle floating outside of time.

Perhaps in Diana's case it was just old biases and prejudices that also worked against her. She was the only woman in a group with six men. Alone she displayed all the traits that made her a leader, yet in the group they weren't seen as clearly. Questions would always persist behind her back over who was actually in charge. This would undermine her position as the face and leader of the League. Perhaps if the roster expanded to include more women those views would change.

Hal, Barry and Victor all had the potential to be leaders and on their own proved this time and time again. Hal was a Lantern though, so most just assumed his first allegiance was to the Guardians. The Lanterns were viewed as an alien army and police force. While humans might begrudgingly accept the idea of aliens, they didn't like the idea of Earth's heroes being led by a soldier in that alien force. For different reasons Barry and Victor seemed to naturally gravitate to the supporting roles within the League. Whether this was out of deference or youth, the larger personalities within the League seemed to overwhelm them at times.

That left one member, Superman. The very name seemed to imply his leadership. If he were truly a Super man among men, why wouldn't he be the leader of the group? Clark wanted to shun the spotlight as much as Bruce did, but for different reasons. He had other responsibilities, other commitments and preferred to be part of the team rather than out front. Unlike Bruce though, everything about Superman seemed to signal to the public to focus their attention on him. Where Batman was garbed in dark, muted colors, Superman was in bold, bright hues. Even their symbols showed the contrast, predominantly black versus brash red on yellow. After the public's eyes stopped gazing at Diana, they usually turned towards Superman.

So what to do? Clark lay wondering how he could do what seemed to be inevitable, if what the group had talked about were to become reality, without losing track of those lonely voices in their solitude? Would becoming something more mean sacrificing the very reason he started all of this? The longer he pondered this, the more he realized just how much he had in common with those quiet, isolated souls, for here he was, alone with no one to talk to about any of it. Maybe that was why he fought so hard for them, as Superman and Clark Kent, because underneath it all he was one of them, too.

* * *

Micronesia

The latest tests hadn't been unsuccessful. After Berlin, Karen had return to the main lab and thrown herself into the work. She drove her team hard, but not as hard as herself. All her energy, all her focus seemed concentrated on making it work. When it failed to do so, it was devastating. She managed to thank everyone for their hard work and said they would start over in a day or two. She gave them all some time off to rest and relax, but as she made her way to her office she felt like anything but relaxing.

She dropped into a chair and stared out at the ocean. It suddenly felt like a metaphor, the same way the ocean cut the island off from everything, Karen felt cut off from everything and everyone. Home seemed further away than it ever had. Her one friend in this world was just a phone call away, but Karen hesitated to make it. Helena would be a shoulder to cry on and sympathetic, but eventually it would come around to the talk about needing to face their current reality. Like her father, Helena liked to stay grounded, focused on the hard, cold facts in front of her. The last thing Karen wanted to here was the cold, rational truths as they presently stood. She already knew them; she just didn't want to accept them.

Other than Helena, though, she had no one else to turn to. In the good times, no attachments seemed like a workable, prudent way of dealing with all of this. Unfortunately they weren't always good times. The poet John Donne had long ago famously written '_no man is an island_' and the truth of those words still resonate today. Some truths are timeless, even with all the changes around us. E-mail or a text never feels quite as special as a simple, ordinary letter. All the ways science and technology have come up with to keep us in contact from the phone to Facebook to video conferencing, they can't replace seeing someone in person.

The modern world has reduced everyone to two senses, sight and sound, but we have other ones. Technology can try and simulate these, but it will always be a poor second hand copy of the original. A handshake, a kiss or a hug conveys so many different things that can't be measured. Watch the families of returning veterans when they first appear on the steps of the plane or at the railing of the ship. They might have spoken over a video link the day before, but it's never as real as that first moment they actually see them. It's why those simple, even anonymous reunions can bring a tear to even the hardest of hearts. It's because we all know what that moment is like and the latest phone or gadget can never duplicate it.

You can try and substitute plain physical contact for a connection. It may push those feelings away for a time, but if things happen to get bad, that's when the true loneliness hits the hardest. Karen had spent the better part of five years pushing everything away, keeping this world at arm's length. There had been good times and bad and up until recently she had made not connection with anyone here, so physical contact managed to get her through the bad times. Her mistake was letting someone slip through and make a connection. Once this had happened she remembered the difference. Suddenly just physical contact wasn't enough, as Berlin had made sadly obvious.

* * *

Metropolis - Later

Sleep still hadn't come. The rain continued. Clark had tossed and turned; yet no answers came. In frustration he finally tossed back the sheet and sat up on the side of his bed. The clothes he had on earlier were lying on a chair next to the bed. Better to go out in the rain and wander around the empty cities streets than remain here, he thought. The walls seemed to be closing in and the isolation was like heavy gravity. He reached over and grabbed his pants and pulled them on. He was just starting to stand when he saw her. She was just floating outside his tiny patio in the rain. Karen.

"_I didn't want to come_,' she said.

"Yet you're here."

Emotions began churning through him as he looked at her. The last time he'd seen her she'd torn a hole inside of him. Seeing her again, it reopened.

"_I tried staying away._"

"But you didn't."

'_No, I didn't._"

He wanted to lash out at her, hurt her, as she'd hurt him. Yet as he looked at her floating in the rain, soaked to the skin, he saw the sadness in her eyes. The rain may have masked her tears to most, but he could still see them. He couldn't help repeating the last words she'd said to him that night.

"You said it was a mistake."

Her hand came up and brushed some of the damp tangles of hair from her face. She looked at him again.

"_It was, it is, cause I couldn't stay away._"

Part of him thought to close the glass doors on her, to return the pain she'd caused him. This part was quickly overwhelmed by all the rest that made him who he was. He slowly extended his hand.

"Come on inside."

She seemed to hesitate, as if crossing the artificial border of his tiny patio railing would signify more than just coming in from the rain.

"Come on, just to get out of the rain."

This seemed to quiet some of her doubts. He wasn't asking for more, just that she come inside and out of the rain. She floated over and landed, taking only the smallest step inside, while keeping her distance from him. She was trembling but not from a chill.

"_This can't be more than what it is._"

She looked at him hard, trying to convince both of them.

"_It can't be more. It just can't._"

He slowly nodded, as if he understood.

"Then it will just be what it is."

She took a step closer to him. She seemed to be trembling even more.

"_I just can't let it, I can't._"

"Then I won't ask you to."

"_It's just … I needed someone. You._"

"I'm glad it was me."

"_It's just for tonight._"

She was quick to clarify this, even as she took a step closer.

'Just tonight."

He held his hand out to her. A moment passed and then she put her hand in his.

"_Tell me you understand._"

"Yes, more than you know."

He took a step closer to her. She didn't back away. He took her gently in his arms and she willingly embraced him. She whispered.

"_It can't be more…_"

"… then tonight."

He softly replied, finishing her sentence. He held her in his arms and she rested her head on his shoulder. Her arms circled around his neck, pulling him in tighter. The tears came again and he slowly stroked her damp hair.

The rain continued, but now the loneliness was pushed back even if it was for just one night. It was what they both needed so desperately, but had almost been too frightened to admit.

"Just tonight." He quietly said.

"_Just tonight_."


	15. Chapter 15

Oboe Variations

Metropolis

The twilight before morning and Clark was awake. He was listening to the sound of Karen's soft, steady breathing. Her head lay on his chest and her arm was wrapped around his body. Her clothes were drying in the bathroom. She was wearing one of his button-down shirts.

The rain had stopped.

The dawn was just a short time away and the night would officially be over. The questions still lingered, her presence adding to them. It hadn't been a night for talking or sex, he thought, just two people that needed someone even if it was for just one night. She seemed so desperate that he understand it was just for the night. Clark still wasn't completely sure why she came or for that matter why he let her in. Part of that frightened him a bit. At their last meeting she had been able to turn his anger into desire with a look and a few words. This time she had been able to turn his anger into compassion without saying anything. It seemed she had a power over him he'd never experienced with anyone else before.

It was frightening, yet holding her like this; he didn't want to give it up. He fleeting through maybe it's biological, something about being Kryptonian on a cellular level that attracted him to her but he dismissed this. Biology only explains so many things and this, this felt like something else.

She made him feel normal.

It was such a strange thing to feel, normal. You walk through your life telling yourself that basically you're just like everyone else, yet there's that part that always feels different. You look at the people around you and can see the things they take for granted, you don't. Part of you wonders if everyone feels like you do or if it is just you. You're part of the crowd, yet you have never really felt part of the crowd. When you actually meet someone that seems in the same place you are it's amazing. You suddenly realize just how alone you've been. All those things everyone else takes for granted suddenly seem possible for you.

It's a frightening thought that someone else, one person can do that to you. Frightening because of what it might mean or not mean. It may only be for a night.

* * *

Gotham

Metaphorical dots on a map and the connections between them occupied Bruce's mind. He knew the best and brightest of us share something with everyone else, we all fall into patterns. Routines become such a part of everyone's life. It doesn't matter what your age is, eventually you fall into the comfortable, the familiar and patterns happen at an almost unconscious level. He was always vigilant about this with his own life. If he could figure it out, then so could his enemies. If Batman started falling into a pattern it could be exploited as a weakness. Once someone falls into a pattern, they become predictable.

Helena Bertinelli was the central dot on Bruce's map. He still had more questions than answers about her. The name she's given him at the hotel he was reasonable sure was just another alias. Then again, so was Helena Bertinelli most likely. Bruce had gone over her back-story, running down every available fact about her he could find. It all seemed to jive, but it was too flawless, too well done for his tastes. He drew an imaginary line between Helena and the Huntress. His instincts told him that wasn't a coincidence, there was a connection between them.

He'd read everything from Italy he could get his hands on about the Huntress. She was some sort of vigilante. He didn't have a major problem with that and from what he'd read she had broken up an international arms smuggler and white slavery ring. He'd been surprised that the likely destination for the arms was Gotham. Just what the city needed, more well armed thugs. He probably owed her a thank you for stopping it.

The thank you wouldn't be coming though, as the more he read the story the more disturbed he found it. Several members of the crime organization had been executed and the stories strongly hinted Huntress was the executioner. That went beyond the line. When you become judge and jury you end up no better than the thugs themselves. He could applaud her goal, but still had to condemn her methods. If you murder, no matter how vile the person is, you're a criminal.

Yet he'd met Helena up close and maybe he was blind, but he just didn't see it. She didn't strike him as a killer. He'd been wrong before, but he didn't think he was this time. He couldn't get an exact handle on her, which frustrated him to no end. She seemed like a combinations of very familiar traits, yet an original at the same time. Maybe he wasn't as cynical as he believed, but he thought she was a good person. Good person or not, that wasn't going to stop him from finding out just who Helena Bertinelli really was.

He drew another imaginary line between the Huntress and his stolen money and then another back to Helena. He didn't have a connection between them yet, but the style of the theft and the way the tracks were covered reminded him of her back-story. He'd been running down every possible flaw in the robbery, but still it hadn't led him anywhere. Again, the work was too good to be a coincidence.

There was also the matter of the anagrams. If it was Helena behind it, which he believed it was, then she was directly challenged him. She might think the game was over because she paid the money back with interest, but he didn't give up that easily. He did feel a strange sense of admiration that she'd paid it back with interest. Apparently someone had raised her right. It was almost something he would have insisted on. He wouldn't have condoned the theft in the first place, but if you're going to pay the money back, you do it right.

Bruce sat back for a moment. It was as if something, some alternative thought or idea was just on the tip of his tongue, yet it wouldn't come. He let it roll around in his mind and then followed it back to where it began. The interest, something about her paying back the money with the interest seemed to echo through his brain, yet what unconscious thought it was trying to shake loose, it still wouldn't emerge.

Leaning forward he set that aside and went back to his imaginary map. He drew another illusionary line between Helena and Karen Starr. Miss Starr was certainly an interesting young woman, he thought. He went over her back-story just as closely as he had Helena's. The thing that hadn't been clear with Helena suddenly became clear when he looked at them both side by side.

It was as if your arm wasn't functioning the best it could. If you only had one you really wouldn't know the difference. Fortunately you have two arms, so you have something to compare it to. Matching up their stories, suddenly the last five years became much more important. It was only in those five years that either woman seemed to enter into the collective conscious of the world. Before that their stories checked out perfectly, but all the supporting information he'd been able to gather were files and records, never eye witnesses.

They were two young women roughly twenty-two or twenty-three, he guessed. Where was the Facebook page or Twitter accounts? Where were the friends from high school or college that mentioned them? Everyone leaves something of a digital footprint these days even if they aren't in the public eye. You only need to Google your name to find this out. Something as simple as clicking on a thank you link on a webpage will show up on a search of your name. There was nothing for either of them before five years ago.

There was also Karen Starr's connection to one, Clark Kent. Bruce hadn't mentioned it to the other League members, but he had to wonder if their encounter at the Trade Show hadn't contributed to Clark's outburst in Dallas. She was certainly a beautiful young woman, but Clark was Superman. He met beautiful women all the time. Diana was perhaps the most beautiful woman in the world, yet Clark hardly paid any attention to her. What was it about Karen Starr that caused such a reaction?

Bruce had dug into her company, finding out everything he could about it. He'd heard the rumors about her and Michael Holt. The way their relationship ended made him wonder if there wasn't something to the rumors that she had borrowed some tech from Mr. Terrific. What he found intriguing was while Starr Industries was starting to make a name for itself in a whole host of areas, it was the private project of Miss Starr's that seemed to get a considerable amount of personal attention. They were very secretive about what it actually was, but from what he'd been able to learn it was some sort of Quantum Tunneler. What exactly it was meant to do, only Miss Starr seemed to know for sure.

A very interesting pair, Miss Bertinelli and Miss Starr, Bruce thought. The last imaginary line was in some ways the most intriguing. He'd watched the news reports from Tokyo. The video wasn't the best, but from the descriptions he had a good idea of who they were. Huntress was the one he was sure of, but the other one, the one the press had nicknamed Power Girl raised his eyebrow. Super strength, the ability to fly, heat vision, those were too familiar to him to be a coincidence. He'd read about the young girl dubbed Supergirl and Clark had reluctantly indicated they were related.

That meant there were two Kryptonians on Earth. Could there be three?

Could Helena Bertinelli and Karen Starr be Huntress and Power Girl?

Bruce believed the answers to both questions were yes. That made finding out everything about the two women even more urgent.

* * *

Metropolis

Morning, the first light came filtering in through the window. Karen slowly opened her eyes and stretched. She glanced around, taking in the unfamiliar room. She remembered she was at Clark's apartment. She was on his bed, but didn't recall falling asleep.

She was alone.

She glanced down and saw she wasn't wearing her cloths, just one of his shirts. Part of her wanted to close her eyes and go back to sleep and let the world go on without her for awhile. But she couldn't do that. She slowly sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Placing her feet on the floor, she sat on the side of the bed. Karen ran her fingers through her hair and could feel the tangles from being out in the rain last night. She must look a mess she thought. Taking a deep breath, she felt calm now, back to normal. Yesterday, had it only been yesterday, she wondered, she had felt so overwhelmed by everything. The loneliness had hit so hard. She just wanted to make it go away, but couldn't. She'd come to him in desperation. She didn't want to, but there was no one else.

He'd taken her in, dried her off and they'd held each other on the bed. They hadn't talked as being with each other just seemed enough last night. The loneliness had been pushed away. Now it was morning. Karen wasn't sure what she was going to do or even what she as going to say to him. This was what she feared all along, forming an attachment with anyone, with him. The temptation was what she'd been trying to resist by pushing him away. She felt safe, normal in his arms. That was something she hadn't felt with anyone, on either world.

The sad irony wasn't lost on her. She'd been tossed from her own universe and almost everyone she knew only to find someone she connected with. She'd been out with other men and thought she knew how things were supposed to go. It wasn't going the way it was supposed to with Clark. They seemed to barely tolerate each other most times, yet here she was. She'd fallen asleep in his arms last night, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Her thoughts wandered to other things they might have done last night, but hadn't.

Karen looked up and saw him in the doorway. She'd been so preoccupied; she hadn't even realized he was in the room.

"Coffee?" He asked.

She slowly nodded. He moved hesitantly towards her, almost as if he were afraid to scare her away. She was nervous as he handed her the cup and sat down next to her on the bed. She felt it shift under his weight and it caused her to lean closer to him. She took a sip, not sure what to say.

"Um, about last night,' he tentatively began.

"Thank you." She interrupted and then added. "For understanding."

He nodded in return. She felt she needed to offer him more, an explanation.

"Clark?"

"Yeah?"

"It-It just got too much last night, you know?" She said. "That's why I came."

"Okay, I can certainly understand that,' he replied.

"Thank you, again."

"Your welcome,' he offered. "Karen?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not the only one that was having one of those nights,' he said. "Thank you for coming."

She was surprised by his admission.

"You were feeling … too?"

"Yes."

He surprised himself admitting this to her. It wasn't something he usually did, voice his feelings.

"It's been a tough couple of weeks.' He added.

"Dallas." She said.

"That's part of it."

Karen saw the sadness and regret pass over his features. Guilt made her ask the next question.

"Was it because of me, because of what happened?"

"That didn't help,' he said with a small smile. Before she could say anything else, he raised his hand to stop her. "It was a lot of things, really. I guess they'd been building up for awhile. It just happened. I'm dealing with it."

"I'm sorry for my part in it,' she offered. "I didn't want that."

"Thanks."

He reached across her and set his cup down on the nightstand. Karen felt her pulse race just a bit and knew he must have noticed too. She could hear his just as clearly.

"About last night,' he began. "You said it was just last night."

"Yes?"

He moved cautiously closer to her, looking into her eyes. She felt her nerves and fears come back, but she didn't move away. Her eyes seemed to move back and forth between his eyes and lips.

"Do you think it could last a little longer to include this morning?"

"Yes."

Their lips met and the night extended into the day.


	16. Chapter 16

Foreign Windows

Metropolis

A staccato series of movements overlaid a timeless rhythm. Fingers, lips, legs, arms and torsos were in constant motion.

They held each other's eyes through all of it.

Each believed this was most likely the last time. If it was then they wanted to remember all of it. There were so many risks involved long term, yet the momentary reward seemed to override them. Sometimes it just feels too good to worry about tomorrow.

There was no anger this time.

Different emotions seemed to dominant. Some they acknowledged and some they didn't. The most troubling ones seemed to flash in and out of both their minds, yet this was too new for them to take hold.

They were still strangers.

Knowing they were attracted to each other and some of the facts about their counterpart wasn't the same as really knowing. That involves time and surrender.

Surrender is a frightening word for all of us and they were no different. We think surrender implies defeat or losing. If you view all life as a battle, then surrendering to another seems like the worst possible fate. But life isn't always a battle and surrender doesn't always mean a defeat.

Without risk there usually can't be any reward. This particular surrender is allowing someone in past your defenses. It makes you vulnerable and them dangerous. The world seems to make everyone fight so hard to protect himself or herself from harm, it becomes ingrained to hold everyone at a distance. You tell yourself you can't be harmed if no one gets close. This strategy may work in limiting the pain and vulnerability, but what does it leave you?

Alone.

It's the struggle we all deal with, even heroes, when or even if we should let someone in. No one wants to get hurt, especially by someone close to us. The cruelest cuts of all come from those we've allowed to see us at our most naked, our most vulnerable. Each time it happens, our skin gets a little thicker; our thoughts a little more cynical, our fears become more focused. We hesitate take another chance, but we do.

We do because we remember.

We remember what it felt like that first time and how nothing has come close since. We may stumble and fall several times, but we keep getting up because of that memory. Connection seems too weak a word for it. You felt as if you were almost physically closer to that one person than you imagined possible. Yes, sex is a major part, but it's so much more than that. Two becoming one is the commonly used metaphor, but even that is a shadow of what it really is.

Some things words fail to describe.

Clark and Karen were having sex or making love or connecting or all of them at once. What they were really doing was new to both of them. The invisible armor they both wore to protect themselves and others was slipping away. They probably didn't even realize it. The need they were both experiencing was creating the first cracks. Words were in the distance. Neither was ready for them yet.

They were surrendering to each other. Now time was the stumbling block.

* * *

Rome

Helena stood looking out the huge glass windows at the tarmac. The jumbo jets taxied by, bound for every point on the compass. The large, dark sunglasses hid her eyes from everyone around her. Her blank expression belied the ordered chaos inside her mind at the moment. She was twenty-two, in world not her own. For five years she been making the best of it, but she hadn't forgotten. She remembered every detail of her mother dying in her arms and the feeling of helplessness that had nearly overwhelmed her in that moment.

That was the day she met Karen for the first time, the day her mother, Selina Kyle-Wayne died. The pain of that day hadn't diminished, yet time had allowed other memories to reassert themselves. When she thought of her mother now, it was a fuller picture of her whole life, not just that awful day. Helena could still remember how her mother had been able to put a smile on her face even on the darkest days. She's always put a playful spin on all the serious training her father demanded. Helena's mother understood the dangerous as well as anyone; she just chose to meet them with a smile or a smirk on her lips.

Five years, it seemed like only yesterday. Helena felt she'd grown up so much since then, yet she always tried to keep some of that playfulness within herself just like her mother would want.

Situations all around Helena were fluid. She'd tried contact Karen, but hadn't received an answer. That frustrated her and perhaps it was a bit of her father coming through, but she didn't like being in the dark about anything. Reluctantly she knew she would have to wait for Karen to work out whatever she was dealing with, but knowing it, didn't make it any easier. Helena had her suspicions it had to do with Clark. They were more then suspicious really, but without the facts she didn't want to draw any conclusions. That was another lesson her father had drilled into her.

The more immediate and pressing problem was this world's Bruce Wayne, the Batman. He wasn't exactly like her father, but there was enough of a similarity to know he wasn't going to just let it go now that he was on the case. There were to many tantalizing things for him not to want to know everything.

Helena had done the smart thing, run as far away from him as she could. That would buy her a little time, but eventually he would show up on her doorstep. He was the hunter and unfortunately she was the hunted. She could keep running, which was the smart, prudent thing to do, but how long did she want to run? He had all the resources he needed to keep coming after her. The little game with his money had peaked his interested. From his visit to their hotel room, Helena knew they were in his sights now.

So what to do?

She had never liked being the hunted. It was why she chose the name she did, the Huntress. He probably expected her to run and would be pleased when she did. He would believe he had flipped the game on her and that now he was in control. She could almost visualize him down in his cave plotting points on a map, trying to see all the connections. She imagined lines running from her to Karen. Other lines would branch off to the stolen money, while others would lead to Power Girl and the Huntress. Still others would tentatively stretch towards Clark and with that connection there was little hope of him giving up. It was just pieces on a chess board to him now.

Helena decided that 'castling' the safe play wasn't what this game needed. When your opponent has you on the run, the last thing he expects is for you to turn and attack. A small smile came to her lips as she thought even more unexpected was for you to grab the whole board and shake it.

Helena checked her watch. Eight hours from now, a warehouse full of illegal arms would suddenly blow up in a remote part of the Italian countryside. Through her friends in the Italy press it would be reported that the Huntress had struck again at organized crime. Knowing whom she was dealing with, she knew he would know about it almost immediately. At the exact same time as the explosion, Helena, as the head of Starr security would be getting off a plane in Gotham. She wondered if he'd be there to meet her? He would probably see through her alibi, but could he prove it was the question.

If they were going to play this game, the Helena knew she had to use every advantage she had. He would think it was a mistake her coming to his home turf, but he didn't know it was her home turf too.

"NOW BORDERING FLIGHT 834 NON-STOP TO GOTHAM, U.S.A."

As Helena picked up her carrying on and headed towards the gate, she imagined somewhere her mother was smiling.

* * *

Metropolis

Clark sat in just his trousers on the side of the bed. Karen was in the bathroom showering and getting dressed. They hadn't spoke about last night or today. She was leaving he knew. He thought of asking her to stay, but wasn't sure he was ready if she said yes. He knew she wouldn't. He also knew he wouldn't ask.

Last night and today had been what it was, that's all. To think it was more would serve no good. It felt like more though, a lot more. Than again he really didn't have the much experience at this sort of thing. He'd been with other women, not a lot, but a few. In those cases they both knew what they were doing and what it was. With Karen he wasn't really sure about anything.

He didn't feel like a man of steel but flesh and blood when he was in her arms. They'd held each other's eyes the whole time, yet other than the need and desire he hadn't any idea what was going on in her mind. Now it was over and he didn't know what happened next. While they were together, he wasn't been thinking about anything but her. Now that it was over, he was still thinking about her. It wasn't just the sex either, although that certainly did cross his mind. He found that now that she wasn't in the room he just wanted to touch her, to stroke his fingertips down her arms just to make sure she was real and he hadn't dreamt it all.

He felt foolish about it. He had enough problems as it was. It was Saturday and in a short while the Justice League would be meeting with the press to answer questions about Dallas. No one expected him to be there. He felt guilty about that, but part of him still wasn't sure he wouldn't just make it worse if he showed up. Clark had talked to his teammates and tried explaining it to them. He hoped they were finally starting to understand each other a little bit better, but time would tell on that. Clark had suggested they not address it at all, but Arthur and the others had thought differently. He and Diana would be at the press conference fielding all the questions. They shouldn't have to, Clark thought.

The door opened and Karen tentatively stepped back into the room. She was dressed and her hair was still a little damp. She seemed nervous, as if now that it was over she didn't know how to leave or if she wanted to leave at all. No, Clark thought, don't try and figure out what she's thinking or not thinking. It is what it is.

"Thank you,' he said. "For staying."

_"Thank you for letting me,_' she replied.

The distance was there again.

"I know you have to go."

_"I do."_

"I won't ask if I'll see you again."

_"I don't know."_

"I'd like it if you did, but …"

_"What?"_ She asked.

"I won't ask for any promises."

_"I'm not sure I could give any."_

"I know," he replied.

She nodded and glanced towards the open terrace doors. He saw this and stood. They looked at each other.

_"I should go, you have that press conference."_

"I'm not going." He said.

_"Why?"_ She asked.

"It's just better if I'm not there."

Karen took a step closer to him.

_"You should be there."_

"I'd probably just make it worse,' he offered.

She stepped closer so they were almost touching.

_"No, it should be your words they hear,'_ she said. _"I'm not in any position to give advice, but I think it should be you everyone hears."_

"I don't know,' he admitted.

Karen lightly ran her fingers down his cheek. He looked into her eyes.

_"Think about it,_ ' she said.

He nodded and then the moment seemed to end. She took a step back and started moving towards the doors. She stopped just before she stepped outside.

_"Thanks again, Clark, for …. well, everything."_

"Your welcome."

And then she was gone.

* * *

Washington, D.C. – Later

Reporters from all over the globe were crowded around the stage waiting for the Justice League to appear. When it was announced that only Wonder Woman and Aquaman would actually be there an unhappy rumble went through the crowd. It was another five minutes before they finally came out on the stage. Flash bulbs exploded from every direction in waves. To the naked eye it almost appeared they were walking into a strobe light. The barrage of questions started immediately before they could even make an opening statement. Arthur tried to get them to quiet down, but it was rapidly turning into a mob scene. The police tried their best to hold back the pushing crowd, but it was a struggle. Just when it seemed hopeless, a gust of wind washed over the scene and then Superman landed on the stage. Arthur and Diana seemed as surprised as the audience, especially when he stepped to the microphones. His voice rang out over the din and slowly the crowd quieted down.

"You all have questions about recent events and while my teammates have graciously offered to deal with this, I've decided you should hear it from me. Who has the first question?"


	17. Chapter 17

Welcome to the Parade

Washington D.C.

"So who has the first question?"

Even as the words left his mouth Clark was thinking this was a mistake. He could feel every eye on him. Arthur and Diana had moved to flank him on either side. A mixture of anxiety and confusion seemed to almost radiate off them as they wondered what he was doing. That was something he was wondering too. This wasn't where he wanted to be, out in front. That was for others. He was more used to being the one asking the questions.

"So are there internal problems among the members of the Justice League, Superman?"

"No."

He didn't elaborate and pointed to the next in a sea of raised hands. The following series of questions he gave the same short answers too. The reporters were getting frustrated. He answered the questions, but he wasn't telling them anything.

"Are you quitting or have they forced you out after Dallas?"

"No, I'm still a member."

As he started to point to the next reporter, Diana decided to step to the microphone. With a smile, she gently, yet firmly moved Clark to the side.

"I think I can say for all the members, that Superman is still considered a valuable part of the team."

Taking her cue, Arthur spoke up.

"Yes we remain united."

"Even after he attacked you?"

Arthur and Diana had moved closer to the microphones, but Clark knew if he was going to do this he couldn't let them speak for him. He appreciated what they were trying to do, but he was here now. It was his actions that triggered this.

"What happened in Dallas was a miscommunication,' he started. "I take full responsibility for it."

Arthur seemed to want to clarify this, but Clark continued.

"The Justice League like all new organizations is going to have growing pains,' he explained. "We are all strong individuals that work together in times of crisis. We maybe have disagreements at times, but we are all dedicated to the same goal."

Arthur and Diana glanced at him. Clark thought he saw something in their brief looks that said 'are we?' but they quickly turned to the audience and reinforced this point.

"Yes, we stand together as always to confront any threats to this world,' Arthur said. "From internal or external."

"Let those that worship evil and its supposed might know this, the Justice League's collective power stands ready,' Diana added.

Clark almost smirked, wondering if Diana even realized she was paraphrasing the Green Lantern's oath. She'd just guaranteed herself several more attempts from Hal to pick her up.

"You're an alien, Superman, is that your goal too?"

There it was, the question that always came up. It was the reason Clark had always been hesitant to speak at events like this and stayed in the background. It was what governments, the military and the regular man and woman on the street still worried about with him. Diana started to object to the question and Arthur rose to his defense, but Clark knew he had to be the one to address it.

"I was born on another world, yes,' he said. "That world is gone and this is the only home I've ever known. I grew up here just like all of you. My values reflect that. I fight for Truth and Justice for everyone, but most of all for Peace. I look towards tomorrow like all of you and hope for a better world. I'm trying, just like so many others are, to contribute to that Better World. That's my goal."

There was an almost eerie pause in the crowd. The only sound was flash bulbs going off in the thousands. Every camera held a steady shot of Superman that was being broadcast to the world. He didn't flinch, but stood tall, as his words seemed to resonant through the crowd. He leaned into the microphones.

"That's all I came to say. I'll step aside for Aquaman and Wonder Woman as the leaders of the League to continue. They have my complete support. Thank you."

Clark took a step back and then lifted off the podium and ascended up into the sky. He disappeared in the next moment. Aquaman and Wonder Woman looked at each other for a moment and then turned to the reporters.

"Yes, a Better World, that's what we fight for,' Diana remarked.

"Who has the next question?" Arthur said with a smile.

* * *

Gotham

Bruce sat in front of a large array of monitors. The nain center screen had the Justice League press conference on it. He was just as surprised as anyone when Superman showed up. Bruce had mixed feelings about the press conference from the beginning. From a practical standpoint he understood it probably had to be done. Their effectiveness relied on the public at large trusting the League. Any doubt undermined what they were trying to do.

The problem he had with it was two fold. One, it just went against his very nature to be open and transparent about the inner workings of anything he was involved in. You handle it privately. People didn't need to know what went on behind closed doors.

His second problem went to the very nature of who he was. He was Batman. For all intensive purposes he considered himself the leader of the Justice League. Some in the group might grumble or quibble about it, but when the chips were down he called the shots. Again, he was Batman. Because he was Batman the problem was he couldn't be the face of the League. Batman was a creature of the shadows and had to remain something of a mystery. He couldn't be standing on a podium in broad daylight answering reporters questions on worldwide news feed.

This meant others stepped forward. In essence Aquaman was letting the world know that he was the leader and the spokesman for the Justice League. Bruce could look at this two ways. One, as a direct challenge to him for leadership or two, as another member doing what he was unwilling to do. Both views had validity.

There was also the matter of Wonder Woman being front and center at the news conference. It seemed five years had changed her from the rather naïve princess new to the world. She had gained confidence and understanding of the world around her. The news conference could in many ways be looked at as her coming out party. She was telling the world with saying the words directly that she was now accepting all the challenges that came and was a leader.

Arthur and Diana were strong personalities with natural leadership skills. The press conference could be seen as a shift in the basic dynamic of the group. The incident in Dallas along with other recent events had cause a reevaluation. Bruce wasn't going to be able to maintain the status quo as the defacto leader of the group.

This posed some problems and some opportunities for him. It seemed more of this time was being spent in Gotham and that was always his first priority. Others stepping up within the League would allow him to focus more of this time here. He could pull back from having a central role in the day-to-day operations of the League yet still maintain his influence. He still believed in a crisis he was the best suited for command, but he had to be aware of others stepping into more active leadership roles.

He wasn't one that liked giving up control of anything he was involved in, but the reality was clear to him. His role would change and he would be more in the background then before. That part was fine but he wasn't ready to give up too much control. Arthur and Diana brought many skills to the table, but Bruce still believed he had more experience. He'd been doing this longer than any of them, so he saw the bigger picture. He would let them be the faces of the Justice League, but he wasn't ready just yet to follow anyone else. He would pick his moments carefully to assert himself as still the on the ground leader when it mattered.

The wildcard in all of it was Superman. Bruce found his appearance at the press conference interesting. Knowing Clark a little better than the others members, Bruce could see Clark was uncomfortable in front of the microphones. It was something they shared, although for different reasons. Bruce had to smile as he listened to Clark give one-word answers to the reporters' questions. It seemed the reporter in Clark had picked up a few habits from those he interviewed.

Then something fascinating happened. Bruce found himself leaning forward as Clark articulated in a few short sentences his values and goals. By extension they had just become the League's goals and values. A better world, that was what they were all working and fighting for. Bruce had been around long enough to know that was the headline that would come out of the press conference. _Man of Tomorrow speaks about a Better World._

Bruce sat back wondering if Clark even realized he'd just made himself the face of the Justice League.

Clark as Superman had started a little after Bruce had become Batman. While Batman began as a myth or an urban legend, Superman had burst onto the scene in broad daylight in all his Technicolor glory. The others were famous, but Superman was probably the most well known hero on the planet. He was the alien among us with God-like powers that was both feared and admired. Dallas had confirmed what many had been warning about, but now Clark had finally spoken about his goals and values. In many ways they were the same ones he had as a reporter, just on a grander scale. What this would mean for the future was something Bruce was keenly interested in.

He glanced at the large screen and could see the press conference was winding down. It had slipped into the entertainment; gossipy sort of questions and Arthur was trying to wrap it up.

Two things caught Bruce's attention on the smaller screens. A live report from Europe about an explosion of an illegal arms warehouse was coming in on the BBC. He switched it to the main screen and listened. The facts all seemed very straight forward, but then the reporter mention that sources had confirmed the vigilante The Huntress was involved.

At the same time an alert sounded from the Gotham Airport. Bruce had managed to install facial recognition software into the cameras so he would know who was arriving. If criminals and villains were planning anything in his city, he wanted to be the first to know they were there. Pulling up the live feed, he was mildly surprised to see Helena making her way through customs. He was sure she was The Huntress, but how could she be in two places at once? That was one of the questions that sprang to his mind. Others followed.

What was she doing in Gotham, his city?

Was this just another part of the game?

Who the hell is she, really?

He thought he caught something on the tape. He stopped it and backed it up. Yes, there it was, just for a tiny fraction of the second. She had looked up at the cameras and smiled. She knew he was watching her. Bruce pulled up everything on her flight, including the passenger list. He quickly scanned down it and stopped when he saw the name. She was definitely playing the game, he thought. If he had any doubt, the name she was listed under said it all. He actually laughed as he read it.

Helena Pennyworth.

Game On.

* * *

Rome

Karen moved around the small apartment looking for clues as to where Helena had gone. She'd gotten all her messages, but hadn't wanted to talk to her until now. Last night and this morning had changed things and she wanted to talk to her best friend in person.

Because of her rapid success in business and the attention it brought, it was sometimes hard to remember Karen was only twenty-two going on twenty-three. She had only been a teenager when she arrived here just like Helena. They'd both had to grow up fast to deal with their new situation. While for the most part they'd done spectacularly, well they were both still very young. Many firsts were still in front of them.

Clark wasn't the first man Karen had been with. As a beautiful young teenager and then woman out on her own she had certainly done a bit of flirting and hooking up. She had a healthy interested in the opposite sex like a majority her age. For the most part she kept it casual, but had crushed hard on a few. It was part of that growing up process that we all have to suffer through.

Now it felt different. Nothing about being with Clark felt casual. It felt too intimate, as if he were already too close. Her behavior towards him mirrored the conflict going on inside of her. She wanted to push him away, yet she'd gone to him. She wanted him to leave her alone, yet when he did she didn't like it. She tried ignoring him, but then got angry when he in turn ignored her. Worst of all, while her focus should have been on getting home, she found herself thinking about him.

Helena's clothes were gone and Karen knew she'd probably wiped the place clean of prints. Without a clue where Helena was at the moment, she grabbed a soda and sat down in front of the computer. It was a place Karen had always felt comfortable. She'd spent countless hours pouring over every bit of information she could about getting back to her world. It was how she first heard of Michael Holt and the quantum tunneler. Even back home, where her cousin had tried to keep her safe and away from the public eye she had explored the outside world through computers. She hit all the usual sites, checking messages and updating contacts and status. Arriving at a news site, she clicked on the link to the fire in the Italy countryside.

A groan escaped Karen's lips as she saw the reference to The Huntress. She knew how her friend's mind worked, so this had to be for a reason. Why would she want everyone to know that the Huntress was involved, Karen asked herself? It had to be an alibi, but for what? It took a few moments, but then she was able to piece together what she thought Helena was doing. An alibi was only needed if Helena popped up somewhere else at the same time. Given whom she was playing with it wasn't hard to figure out where she planned on popping up.

Gotham.

"You're playing with fire, Helena and you're going to get burned."

Karen was just about to closer her browser window when she saw the link to the Justice League press conference. She wondered if he would be there. The temptation was too hard to resist, so she clicked on the link. She watched the video. She froze it on the image of him at the microphone with Aquaman and Wonder Woman standing on either side. This was his world and that's where he should be, she thought. It wasn't like back home, but it still felt right that he should be front and center of the Justice League.

But where did that leave her? Did she have a place in his world?

No, Karen stopped herself, don't even go there. This isn't your world and the sooner you get back to where you belong the better. Don't loose focus on what matters, yet even as she told herself this, she couldn't help wondering if what mattered hadn't change? As hard as she tried, she couldn't dismiss that she'd slept with Superman. No, she thought, not Superman, Clark. Yes there were one and the same, but in her mind a difference had already formed.

Superman was her forty-year-old cousin back home. The man she had spent the night with was completely different. It should have freaked her out when she thought of it. They had the same names and everything, but they weren't the same. She wasn't related to this world's Clark Kent. There was already a Supergirl here. Just as Bruce Wayne here wasn't married to Selina Kyle, this world's Clark wasn't the same man as the one back home. The differences were so striking now that she couldn't even think of them as versions of the same person.

As she looked at the image of him on the screen she knew that different choices had been made. Just as her very presence couldn't help but change the timeline, it had already diverged from the one she was familiar with even before she arrived. So if everything was changed, Karen couldn't help thinking where they left her in this world.

Was there a place for her here?

Was getting back home still her priority?

What did it mean for her and him if she stayed? Would that mean she was changing what might occur in this world's future if she didn't go home?

She didn't have any answers to these questions. Her whole frame of reference was her own world and what happened there. More and more she was realizing she couldn't just overlay this world on that one. Too much was different, especially the people. Assumptions and views were going to have to change if she was going to accept the reality of her situation.

There were still bigger questions that she didn't have an answer to.

What did she want? What did he want? Did they want the same thing and did it involve each other?

* * *

Gotham Airport

Helena did her best to control her excitement. She'd been avoiding this city since she arrived, but now she was finally here. In a way it felt like coming home, but she wasn't going to fall into the trap of thinking if was the same. She moved along with the other passengers and stopped at customs. With a quick glance she spotted the cameras and even allowed a little smile. She assumed he was tapped into them and would already know she was here. That's just what she wanted. She stepped up the counter.

"Welcome to Gotham, Miss Pennyworth,' the clerk said. "Are you here for business or pleasure?'

"Oh, pleasure, definitely pleasure," she replied.


	18. Chapter 18

The Marketplace of …

Gotham

The Royal Gotham Hotel was the sort of place those who had money for more than a couple of minutes stayed in. It wasn't trendy, always chasing the latest fashions, but quietly elegant and timeless. Helena had grown up with money, lots of money, so even though she was in a different universe her tastes remained the same. It always helped to have a very rich best friend you helped start in her business. That tended to make her look the other way at certain rather generous travel expenses. Well, Karen could always deduct them from her taxes as another business expense Helena rationalized.

In a way this trip was business related to Helena. She had told Karen she would deal with their situation involving Bruce Wayne, so she was dealing with it. That didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun doing it though. Back home she wasn't even sure this part of Gotham was still there. Most of it had already been destroyed, so there was a bit of nostalgia and sadness as she walked into the main lobby. By now, who knew what was left of her world, really?

_Focus on the task at hand._

It was one of the voices in Helena's head, repeating a lesson drilled into her by countless hours of training. It was of course her father's; her mother would have let her enjoy this for a little while. She could still remember the first time she went on a date; he had practically scared the guy to death before it even started. He'd made sure she was carrying mace, pepper spray and brass knuckles in her purse before he let her out of the house. Although she never found it, Helena was sure he put a tracker in some part of her clothes. If it hadn't been for her mother finally stepping in her dad would have insisted she wear Kevlar under her dress just in case.

_Focus young lady._

Oh, all right, she thought, as she pushed the memories away and signed in at the desk. Helena followed the bellhop into the elevator and up to her room. She gave him a tip and thanked him. She had already gone on line and checked out all the exits, entrances, sight lines and escape routes, but she still did a quick check of the room just to be sure. Next she unpacked and put away her suitcase in the closet. Checking her watch, Helena knew she still had some time. Kicking off her shoes, she sat down on the bed and picked up the house phone.

"Front desk?" A young female voice said.

"Yes, this is Miss Pennyworth in Room 421?" Helena replied.

"Of course, Miss Pennyworth, how may I help you?"

Helena glanced at her watch again.

"I'm expecting someone to ask for me at the front desk in about an hour and twenty minutes. Could you not tell them my room number, but ring me when they arrive?"

"Is this something the police should be involved in Miss Pennyworth?" The desk clerk asked. "If someone is harassing you, we can have the authorities here in no time."

Helena almost laughed at the thought, but maintained her calm.

"No, no, nothing like that,' she said. "It's a business acquaintance, but I prefer to meet him in the lobby rather than have him come up to my room. I'm sure you can appreciate as a young woman I wouldn't want that or how it might look."

"Of course I understand,' the desk clerk replied. "We appreciate all the proprieties here at the Royal Gotham. I'll handle it personally, Miss Pennyworth."

"Thank you so much."

As she hung up, Helena smiled and slipped off her jacket. Glancing at her watch again, she figured Bruce Wayne would be stopping by soon enough, so there was nothing else to do but relax and wait.

* * *

Washington D.C.

Steve Trevor had been having a bad day. The constant grind of the bureaucracy and red tape seemed to feed on itself. He always seemed to be going from one subcommittee to another, always answering questions and more questions. He was the good soldier though and did his job. Occasionally someone did push just a little too much.

"Hey, Trevor, I heard you and Wonder Woman had a thing going. She wear those boots in bed?"

Steve acted on instincts he'd honed over many years. He didn't break the man's hand, but it would be sore for quite awhile. Luckily his new assistant showed up or he might have been tempted to make the damage a little more permanent. That wouldn't do, as he had to go to another subcommittee and answer more of their questions about the Justice League. He kept his temper for the most part, especially in from of the cameras, but he ended the meeting with what amounted to a threat.

Another shitty day in an increasingly long string of shitty days.

He asked his new assistant for a cup of coffee and opened his laptop. This was the bright spot of his day.

"Hello Steve."

Wonder Woman. The smile came automatically to his face.

"Hi, Diana."

She was just the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He knew this was a business call, so he started to inform her about what had been happening at the meetings, but there seemed to be constant interruptions from the other members. The smile started to slip from his face. He finished the summary, but didn't want to finish the conversation. He finally was talking just to her.

"I guess that's it, then,' he said, hoping it actually wasn't.

"Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"How are you?" She asked.

"Fine."

"At a desk, managing people and answering to Congress? Why are you still doing this?"

"Because someone needs to cover your asses,' he offered.

She looked at him for a moment, as if she wanted to say something. He gave her a smile and whatever she had wanted to say, she let go.

"All right, have a good night, Steve."

And then the screen was blank again. He checked his watch. It was twelve minutes this week. He didn't feel like smiling. His new assistant brought his coffee in. She seemed hesitant, but then asked about him and Wonder Woman. Instead of his usual denials, he just admitted the truth.

"I'm in love with her."

"Why don't you tell her that,' his new assistant suggested.

"That's the problem, I did,' he quietly replied. "That will be all."

His new assistant left his office. Steve leaned forward staring into the paper coffee cup.

* * *

The Watchtower

Clark moved down the hallway heading towards the exit. After he'd left the press conference, he'd wondered if he'd done more harm than good. He waited awhile, and then made a trip up to see the mood of the other members. No one seemed to have a problem with what he said, although some thought he was hogging the spotlight a little too much. Actually only Hal thought that. Batman had made a brief appearance but something in Gotham seemed to be preoccupying him and he left. Clark talked with Arthur just to make sure he hadn't overstepped himself, but he too seemed okay with it. Relieved, Clark figured he'd head back to the city and maybe catch up with Jimmy and see what he was up to.

He happened to glance into the communications room and saw Wonder Woman sitting quietly in front of a blank screen. The lights were low in the room and something about her body language made Clark stop.

"Wonder Woman, um, ah, I mean Diana, is everything okay?"

"Oh, yes, Superman, everything's fine."

She flashed him a brief smile, but he noticed it didn't reach her eyes. His first instincts were to let it alone, but something in her expression made his hesitate. Other than a brief conversation a few weeks ago, they really didn't talk that much. Clark realized from her sitting in front of the computer screen she'd probably been talking to Steve Trevor. Like most he wasn't aware of the current status of their relationship. It was none of his business really, but he'd heard the same rumors everyone else had.

He stood a moment longer and then realize it was sadness he saw in her eyes. He glanced around but no one else was there. Whether it was out of compassion or just simple kindness that motivated him, he wasn't sure, but somehow it just felt wrong to walk away.

"If you want to talk, I'll listen,' he finally offered.

She looked at him and he thought he saw a little surprise in her expression. He guessed that was to be expected. They'd worked together for five years and he'd never made this offer before to her or anyone.

"I can tell something's troubling you,' he said. "I don't mean to pry, but I'll listen if you want."

She seemed to weight this and then glanced at the blank computer monitor again. Finally she seemed to come to a decision.

"Steve."

"Did something happen?" He asked.

"Yes, but that was a while ago."

He wasn't sure what she meant by that, so he just waited for her.

"This job as liaison is killing him,' she offered.

"He seems like a capable guy,' Clark replied. "He's certainly done a great job."

"Yes, he has,' she admitted. "But he hates it."

He was about to ask why, but she looked at him with such sadness in her eyes, words wouldn't come.

"He's doing this because of me,' she continued. "He'd never admit it to anyone, even himself, but I know that's the reason."

"Okay, but are you sure about that?"

"He's a soldier, not someone meant to be stuck behind a desk shuffling papers and answering endless questions,' Diana said.

"What he's doing is important, I'm sure he believes that,' Clark replied.

"Yes, I'm sure he does,' Diana admitted. "I just fear part of it is because things didn't work out the way he thought they would between us."

She paused before continuing.

"You know he's the first man I ever saw?"

"I'd heard something like that,' Clark said.

Diana smiled as if she were remembering their first meeting.

"I was eighteen when he arrived on the island,' she continued. "He caused quite a stir, as you can imagine. I was drawn to him almost immediately, but I really didn't know anything about relationships back then, especially between a man and a woman. I care for him deeply, but it was only later I realized his feelings were different than mine. I wanted to feel those things towards him, I did, but it wasn't the same."

"It's complicated for everyone,' Clark offered.

"I understand that now,' Diana replied. "I thought, well, I believed because of him being so much older with more experience, he would understand. This was all new to me. I didn't even understand all the attention it would bring. I know it hasn't been easy for him, any of it, but his taking this job hasn't made it any better. He hates it and it's putting him in danger because of it."

"He's a soldier, Diana,' Clark stated. "A damn good one from what everyone says, so he'd used to danger. It's part of the job."

"Yes, but because of me and his connection to me, he's put a target on his back,' she said. "As good as a soldier as he is, he should know better than that. If something were to happen to him, I'd be responsible, because I couldn't say the words he wanted me to say. I didn't feel the same way he did, but I do care for him deeply and I worry about what this is doing to him."

"Have you told him this?" Clark asked.

"Yes, but he just says someone has to protect the League and watch our asses,' she replied. "I'm sure he believes that, but I fear if you do something for the wrong reasons it will end badly. I'd be responsible."

"No,' Clark stated. "You can't blame yourself for someone else's actions. You've been honest with him and that's all you can do. Look, I'm hardly the one to be giving advice on this sort of thing. I'm more confused at the moment about relationships than I've ever been. I do know you can't push someone into feeling something they don't feel or want to feel. It's frustrating and maddening, but I guess some times you have to accept that _just tonight, means just tonight_, or that _it is what it is_."

She seemed to think about this for a moment and then gave him a small smile.

"That doesn't make it any easier."

"Like I said I'm hardly the one to be giving advice on this,' he replied with a smile. Another moment passed and there wasn't really anything else for him to say. He'd said more than he expected to say and now felt a bit uncomfortable standing there. "I should go."

He started to move off, but she called after him.

"Thank you, Super … Kal."

"You're welcome, Diana."

Diana looked back at the blank screen for a moment, but then turned and watched Superman walk away.

* * *

Gotham

The phone rang and Helena picked it up on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Miss Pennyworth?'

"Yes?"

It was the front desk clerk and the young woman sounded excited.

"Um, well, you asked me to ring you if anyone asked about you? Someone just did and it's Bruce Wayne!"

Helena smiled at the way the woman said his name. He must have tried to charm Helena's room number out of the girl.

"I didn't tell him what room you were in,' the clerk added quickly.

"Yes, thank you, is he still in the lobby?"

"Yes!"

"Tell him I'll be right down,' Helena replied. "Thank you."

Helena hung up the phone and went over to the mirror. She straightened her outfit and ran a brush through her hair. Slipping her jacket on she took one last look in the mirror to make sure everything was in order. She smiled at her reflection.

"Game on."


	19. Chapter 19

Quip Pro Quo

Gotham

The ride down in the elevator seemed to take forever. It felt as if all her senses were at peak efficiency for the coming confrontation. Sights and smells seemed to be so distinct, like the young man next to her who was apparently overly fond of Axe body spray. Then there was the older man in the back of the elevator sucking down the Altoids to cover the smell of vodka from the three martinis. The younger woman next to him was obviously with him quietly reapplying the lipstick that he'd hastily smear in his inebriated over-eagerness to have sex with her. Them there was young mother clutching her child's hand as she nervously looked at the GPS on her phone, tripling checking the directions to the museum. It was obviously her first time in the city and she'd heard all the stories.

Details, details, details, you could tell so much about people just by noticing the details, Helena thought. She glanced ahead into the stainless steel doors of the elevator, rechecking her appearance. It was a carefully crafted study in neutral she wanted to present to Bruce Wayne. Helena knew he'd be looking for clues, signs, anything he could glean from her. She wanted there to be nothing on the surface for him to read. She'd carefully picked everything she was wearing, from her shoes to her suit, even her sunglasses so he would have no help in unraveling the mystery that was Helena – _Fill in the last name_.

The doors opened on the lobby and she let the young mother and child exit first. This was partly out of politeness and good manners, but it also allowed her some cover till she spotted him. It only took only a moment as he was still at the front desk. Helena doubted he'd given up on trying to get her room number from the clerk. He had more ways than just asking directly to get the information. She knew eventually he would find out, she just didn't want it to be too easy for him.

Helena followed the mother and child until she was much closer to Bruce.

"Mr. Wayne, should I be flattered or worried?" She asked with a hint of a smile.

He turned and looked at her for the first time. He was very smooth about it, but she knew he was taking in every detail.

"Flattered,' he finally replied. "Miss Pennyworth, is it now?"

"Yes, it's a nice name, don't you think?"

"Yes and familiar."

Helena smiled a little bigger and stepped closer.

"I'm head of Starr security, Mr. Wayne,' she said in a lower voice. "You said in New York you'd been looking into us. Did you really think I wouldn't do some checking on you too?"

Bruce smiled now.

"And so you have,' he said. "I doubt Alfred would appreciate you appropriating his name though."

"Than you could just call me Helena, Mr. Wayne,' she offered.

"Only if you call me Bruce, Helena."

"All right,' she agreed. "So you're here, was it just to get my room number or was there something else?"

He smiled a little more as she basically told him she knew exactly what his motivates were. It wouldn't be that easy, he thought, but he'd play the game.

"Well, that depends on you, Helena."

"How so?"

Bruce glanced around. The lobby of the hotel wasn't the place for this.

"Why don't we get some coffee and talk?" He said. 'I know a small place a couple of blocks from here."

"The hotel has a coffee shop/bistro, why don't we just go in there?" She countered.

He'd let her have location, he thought; perhaps it would make her overconfident.

"All right, after you,' he said.

Helena nodded and turned towards the left. She had checked everything out, trying to think like he might think. He'd given up location, but she reminded herself not to get overconfident. Remember whom you're dealing with, she thought.

They made their way across the lobby, passed the lounge and into the little coffee shop/bistro. It wasn't crowded at this time of day and they were shown to a table away from the other patrons. Bruce moved to hold one of the chairs out for her, but Helena had already picked out another. She wanted to sit facing the entrance and forcing him to have his back to it. It was a small thing, but she knew he wouldn't like it. With a silent sigh, Bruce took the seat, but managed to angle it so he could still see anyone coming in. The waitress came immediately and they both ordered. They were only having coffee so she filled both their cups. The waitress said if they wanted anything else just to give her a wave. As she moved away, Helena set her purse on the table next to her and leaned back.

"So, Bruce?"

It felt so weird calling him Bruce, she thought. If she'd tried that with her father, she wasn't sure how long it would have been before she could sit down. This isn't your father, she reminded herself.

"So why are you in Gotham, Helena?" Bruce asked.

"I could ask what concern of yours that is?" She replied.

Okay, now she's just being coy, he thought. He didn't mind playing this game with her, in fact he was enjoying it, but there were limits.

"You used my butler's last name, Helena, so obviously you wanted me to know you're here,' he stated. "So again, why are you here?"

Mentally she chastised herself, or more accurately her father's voice chastised her for being too cute with her answers. As she pondered just how she wanted to phrase her response she could help being struck by how much this Bruce Wayne resembled Bruce Wayne back home. It wasn't just the looks, but the whole demeanor. She saw the differences, but they weren't nearly as pronounced as the differences between Clark here and back home.

She couldn't help wondering if on every world where Bruce Wayne's parents and her grandparents were killed if he didn't turn into the Batman. It was the pivotal moment of his life it seemed, no matter what the world.

This made her think of Clark. Before meeting this one, she would have guessed the key moment in his life was his Kryptonian parents putting him in a rocket ship and saving him. Now that she had met this world's Superman she couldn't help thinking how the differences were much more striking than the differences between the two Batmen. Superman apparently had many different pivotal moments in his life, but Batman really came down to just one.

These were thoughts for later she knew, but they flashed through her brain anyway. Shifting slightly in her seat, she knew he was waiting for a reply.

"I'm here on business,' she offered. "You'll understand I can't go into the specifics but it involves organized crime and some of Starr Industries research."

"Starr Industries isn't in arms, Helena,' Bruce replied. "From what I've been led to understand, most of their work is theoretical. Hardly the sort of thing criminals would be interested in."

"Normally yes," she agreed. "I'm sure you're familiar with the term duel use, Bruce. While Star Industries technology is research minded, others believe they can use it for more practical, dangerous uses."

What she was saying was essential true. Organized crime elements in Europe and the Far East were looking for highly advanced technology for new weapons. Starr Industries had been targeted before, but hadn't been breached. Helena knew the best lie used as many of the facts as possible. It gave it an air of believability so it was easier to slip in the falsehood.

"Why Gotham?" Bruce asked.

"Gotham is the entry point for much of this new tech,' Helena replied. "Several arms dealers were caught and their organizations broken up in Europe recently, but new, more dangerous groups have stepped into the take their place."

"Huntress."

Bruce said it and stared at Helena watching for any reaction. She was expecting this and instead of denying it, she had already worked out her answer. She reached up and slowly took her sunglasses off and returned his gaze.

"Yes, she works for me."

Bruce was genuinely surprised by this answer. He was almost certain Helena and the Huntress was one and the same. He expected a denial, but not this answer.

"She works for you? Huntress?"

"Yes."

There was something about the way he said Huntress that Helena caught. It was the tone of his voice, almost a distain that caught her off guard.

"You don't approve of what the Huntress is doing?" Helena couldn't help asking.

"It's not what she's doing, it's how,' he replied. "Murder is never the answer."

"There is no evidence she committed murder." Helena said too quickly.

That was a mistake, and the both realized it. She'd let herself get caught up in the thought that he disapproved of her and tried justifying her actions. _He's not your father_ the voice inside her head reminded her.

"They might not be able to prove it but people are dead because of her actions."

Bruce wanted to press his advantage, hoping the small slip would lead to bigger slips.

'Batman."

"Excuse me?" He replied.

"We're in Gotham, Bruce, home of Batman, remember?" Helena said. "Are you saying no one has ever died because of his actions?"

"I wouldn't know,' Bruce calmly stated. "He doesn't fill me in on all his activities."

"Of course, but I'm just saying he's well known for taking on organized crime here in Gotham, isn't he?"

"Yes."

"He takes out one crime family and the others move into to take their place,' Helena explained. "Criminal on criminal crime isn't unheard of."

"Even saying that's true, it's different from what the Huntress is doing,' he pointed out. "The deaths were a direct response to her actions. If you're working with her, I would think that would worry you."

"If she can stop them from bringing a bomb into Gotham, one that could be devastating to the public at large, isn't that more important that whether a few criminals hurt each other?"

"What sort of bomb?" He asked.

"I'm not sure, but from what I've heard a mutation bomb of some sort,' she replied.

"Mutation bomb?"

"Yes, does that sound like something anyone wants going off in Gotham?"

Bruce considered this. He'd heard reports of something similar from Batgirl, but no actual sale had gone down. Was it possible others were attempting the same thing, he wondered? Yes, of course it was, but that was a side issue for now. The young woman sitting in front of him was the focus of this meeting.

"If you are so worried, why not alert the authorities?"

"They like proof and I don't have any hard evidence just yet,' Helena replied. "I imagine they would have the same reaction you did if I told them I heard this from the Huntress."

So she's going to stick to that story, he thought. Okay, he had to admit it certainly fit the facts, but he wasn't buying it for one minute. She was good, but her story was leading somewhere.

"Well I guess that explains why you're here,' he offered. "I feel better already. It does make me wonder why you went to all the trouble to make me aware of your arrival and why you're telling me all this?"

Helena gave him a big smile.

"Batman."

"What about him?" Bruce replied.

"I imagine this is information he'd want to know."

"I guess,' Bruce said.

"I was hoping you would pass it along, Bruce,' Helena suggested.

"Me? Why me?" He asked. "I don't exactly run in the same circles as our resident crime fighter does."

"No, but you've met him haven't you?" Helena asked.

"Yes."

"Well, a leading, upstanding citizen like you must have ways of getting information to people like him. I'm sure you have friends on the police force and that sort of thing,' she suggested. "I don't know anyone in this city, so I wouldn't even know where to start, never mind trying to find someone as elusive as the Batman."

He had to wonder if she was implying anything, but knew there was no way she knew he was Batman. It wasn't possible. He just had to stick with his story.

"Well, I do know some fellows in the force, but as for the Batman, I doubt I could even find him,' Bruce said. "These vigilante types are unpredictable to say the least."

"Well, I'm sure you'd have better luck than I would,' Helena replied. "I mean you're rather famous as Gotham's first son and all. I'm going to continue to keep track of this from the Starr Industries angle, but I thought I'd better leave the big picture to those that know this city better."

"I can't promise anything, but I'll see what I can do,' Bruce said.

"Thank you."

"I haven't done anything yet.' Bruce insisted.

Helena smiled and picked up her purse. Her coffee sat untouched on the table. She figured he might try and get some prints off it, so she wasn't going to help him with that either. She had one more little nugget she wanted to leave him with.

"I have confidence in you, Bruce,' she said. "I'm sure the message will reach the right parties. Oh, you should probably warn them that the Huntress might show up here in Gotham too."

"That wouldn't be a good idea."

Bruce wasn't smiling as he said this. Helena shrugged as she started to stand up.

"What can I do?" She said. "Like you said, these vigilante types are so unpredictable. Thanks for the coffee."

With that she headed for the exit and towards the street. She thought she would take a little walk around and compare this Gotham to the one she grew up in. The meeting had gone almost how she thought it would. He might not believe her, but at least she'd offered an explanation. It was one that focused him on her, not Karen and that was all she really wanted in the first place.

* * *

Bruce watched her leave. A very interesting young woman he thought. Quite attractive too, but not his type, _definitely_ not his type, but still interesting and intelligent. He had to smile as he thought how well prepared she was for this meeting. That was something he'd been trying to drill into Damien, but was still working on it. Whoever she really was, she must have had a good teacher, he thought. Who that teacher was, was just another question he would have to find the answer for. He would find it sooner or later and know everything about Miss Helena –_Fill in the last name_.

* * *

As Helena left the building and started down the sidewalk, Bruce wasn't the only person taking an interest in her. In fact two people were watching her at that very moment, Damien and Selina. They had different reasons for their interest in Helena, but both were bothered by her presence in Gotham. Although, Selina did have to admit there was something about the young woman's style she liked. Damien didn't like anything about her. Independently, they both decided they would have to keep an eye on Helena.

* * *

Metropolis

The movie was letting out and Clark and Jimmy moved with the crowd. They were talking about what they liked and disliked about the summer blockbuster they'd just seen.

"Puny God! Come on, Clark that was classic!" Jimmy enthusiastically said.

"Yeah, that was a good scene,' Clark replied.

It was Saturday night, date night for many at the theater. Clark found himself looking at the couples all around them. As Jimmy continued his praise of the movie Clark found his mind wandering back to Karen. She hadn't been in touch and he wasn't really sure she would be. They'd had sex, but beyond that he didn't know what their status was. Were they in a relationship? Did she want a relationship? Before the night at his apartment he would have said no, she wanted nothing to do with him, but now he didn't have any idea.

She was the most confusing woman he'd ever met.

"Earth to Clark!" Jimmy shouted.

"What? Oh, sorry, I must have drifted off there for a moment,' Clark replied.

"I know what this is about, Clark."

"I don't think you do, Jimmy."

"Hey, you're out with me on a Saturday night, that says a lot,' Jimmy offered. "We're surrounded by couples so it's not a huge leap to know you're thinking about women."

"And you're not?" Clark asked.

"Yeah!" Jimmy said with a roll of his eyes like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The difference is I'm at least trying to do something to change it. You never ask anyone out."

"And yet we're both in the same situation," Clark replied.

"At least I'm asking women out,' Jimmy said in his defense. "I mean the last date you had Lois set you up with her sister. You went out once with her and that's it. You need to get in the game, buddy. Take a shot, ask someone out."

"Like who? Lois?" Clark said.

"Yeah, right, like that would happen,' Jimmy replied with a laugh. "You just went out with her sister, Clark, only a complete douche would ask her out now. Besides she's already got a boyfriend."

"It was just an example,' Clark offered.

"A bad one,' Jimmy replied. "You might as well say you're going to ask Karen Starr out. I mean you have about as much chance."

"Well, I have met her, remember?" Clark said. "She did come to the office awhile ago."

"And I believe you described it as her bitching you out and leaving in a huff."

"Well, it could have went better, yeah,' Clark admitted. "Still she's really attractive."

"Duh?" Jimmy said. "No kidding. She's also like way out of your league, buddy. She's a billionaire or something. She probably has rich guys falling all over themselves to take her out. Didn't I read she was going out with Michael Holt for a while? We're talking major bucks there. I don't think you could afford to compete with guys like that for someone like her. Why don't you set your sights a little lower, dude? Stop thinking about swinging for the fences and just get on base first. Why don't you ask out Nancy down in accounting?"

"Well, for one, she's already living with a guy and two she's pregnant,' Clark replied.

"What? She's pregnant? How do you even know that?" Jimmy asked. Clark suddenly realized he'd said too much. That he'd accidently overheard Nancy telling someone at the Planet he couldn't admit, especially since it was five floors down when he heard it.

"I'm a reporter, Jimmy, remember? Information, that's my stock and trade."

"Yeah, right,' Jimmy dismissively said. "Okay, so cross Nancy off the list, but she was just an example. Guys like us don't get women like Karen Starr. We'd probably go bankrupted trying. She lives a jet set life out of our price range, buddy."

"Well, maybe she'd like something different,' Clark suggested. "You know, ask her out on a date where it isn't about money, but something that shows you think she's special and unique."

"Good luck with that,' Jimmy replied. "It would have to be really unique to pull that off."

"You never know until you try,' Clark offered.

"Yeah, and I'm sure in that make believe world you're talking about fairy tales come true too,' Jimmy said. "Maybe you should think about giving Lois' sister another shot."


	20. Chapter 20

A Flavor of Z

Smallville – After Midnight

The string of Christmas lights swayed in the gentle breeze. They were attached to an old trailer Clark had brought out here just for the occasion. The fire was slowly burning its way out, embers still swirling up into the darkness. The small lake was like a sheet of glass occasionally disturbed by small, ever expanding ripples. The food had been put away some time ago once it became apparent she wasn't going to show.

Clark sat in one of the sling-back chairs, a half empty glass of homemade sangria in his hand. He was alone. He'd stopped looking and listening for her over an hour ago. The music had been playing most of the night and in a bit of synergy it seemed to reflect his fading hopes. Willie Nelson's _Angel Flying to Close to the Ground_ came on.

_If you had not have fallen  
Then I would not have found you  
Angel flying too close to the ground  
And I patched up your broken wing  
And hung around a while  
Tried to keep your spirits up  
And your fever down  
I knew someday that you would fly away  
For love's the greatest healer to be found  
So leave me if you need to  
I will still remember  
Angel flying too close to the ground  
Fly on, fly on past the speed of sound  
I'd rather see you up  
Than see you down  
Leave me if you need to  
I will still remember  
Angel flying too close to the ground_

His emotions didn't run towards anger, just disappointed. He'd taken a chance and put himself out there only to have things not go his way. He was hardly the first or the last person this would happen to, just the latest. It seemed even being Superman didn't immunize you from being stood up on a date.

* * *

The Night Sky – Midnight

Fifty miles away Karen floated 20 thousand feet up in the stillness of the night. This was the closest she'd been in several hours. The amazing abilities she had on this world seemed more like a curse. She could see everything, every detail including the sadness on his face. Yet she couldn't seem to make herself move any closer. She knew he'd been waiting for her and she was the cause of his expression.

A date, it seemed so simple or at least it had when she agreed. She had thought she would surprise him by dropping out of the Mesosphere, above where he would be looking for her. It would be a little display of her abilities for someone who could appreciate them and know what they were like. Karen reached Smallville just before sunset. She could see him busily make preparations for the evening and she had to smile at his ingenuity. This was a date between Clark and Karen yet it allowed for them to be who they really were if they wanted.

Watching him she suddenly realized she wasn't going to keep the date.

While she was only 22, she had been on dates before, but this one was different. Every date is essentially about possibility. It's two people opening themselves up and taking a chance that they might be right for each other. It's asking someone else into your life. Karen realized that was what Clark was doing, asking her into his life on this world.

Of course he didn't know this wasn't her world, she hadn't told him.

She felt the pull to join him down there in this world, yet another world still beckoned. In her young life she'd already lost one world, Krypton, she wasn't ready to lose another. Joining him down there felt like she would be doing just that, giving up on getting back home. Her cousin and Helena's parents had sacrificed their lives for that world and as far as she knew the struggle wasn't over. Didn't she owe them to at least try to get back and help save that world?

She had been raised around heroes and if she ever wanted to be one didn't the bigger picture have to come first? Isn't that what heroes do? The line had been so simple before; personal desires took a backseat to the greater goal. If anything watching first Lois and then Selina die and seeing how her cousin and Helena's father pushed on inspired her. Even in their private grief they had put the world's needs first. Could she do less?

Tears wouldn't come at this altitude. Karen knew the best thing to do was just leave, but she couldn't. She watched him prepare everything, making sure it was just right for the night, for her. He said it would be different than other dates she'd been on and she could see he was right. She wanted to drop down and explain why she couldn't, but that would only create more problems and questions.

Karen and Helena had agreed when the first arrived the best thing was to let no one know they were from another universe. They had discussed asking this world's heroes to help them, but then Darkseid had attacked here too. They realized they couldn't ask them to leave this world unprotected to help their world. If they were ever going to get back they would have to do it themselves. If their actions caused what happened on their world to happen here, they would never forgive themselves. If they asked for help and then the worst happened, they would be dooming two worlds. That was a lot to put on the shoulders of two seventeen years olds, but they made their decision and had stuck to it. They realized they were on their own.

Five years had passed and it seemed their decision was the right one. This world's heroes had managed what their world's hadn't been able to, repel Darkseid and his army. Karen had studied every available piece of footage to see just how they managed it, hoping she could use whatever they'd done when her and Helena returned home but it almost seemed like chance that they won more than anything. She also knew Darkseid wouldn't give up so easily. He would return and this world would need all its heroes, especially Superman.

But five years had passed. Karen and Helena were no longer seventeen years old. Each day their world seemed to slip just a bit further away and this one became more real. Karen had always been the dreamer, while Helena was the more practically one, yet this business with Bruce Wayne worried Karen. She felt there was something she was missing in her best friend's actions. For as logical and calculating as Helena could be, there was something reckless about the way she was going. It was as if she wanted Bruce Wayne to know about her and Karen couldn't help wondering if it wasn't because of whom he reminded Helena of.

As she gazed down at the tiny campfire, Karen knew she was hardly one to talk. The feelings behind it might be different, but she wanted Clark to know her just the same. The illusion that he was the same as the Superman back home had fallen away. Five years had passed and now she was a young woman interested in a young man, Clark Kent. Why it had to be him of all people, she couldn't help wondering, but she knew it was true. That's where the danger came in. It was only a date, yet it was filled with possibility like all dates are. The closer she got to him the harder it would be to leave.

Floating in the darkness, she could hear the words to the song _Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground_.

_If you had not have fallen  
Then I would not have found you_

She hadn't fallen into this world and he wouldn't have found her.

_I knew someday that you would fly away  
For love's the greatest healer to be found  
So leave me if you need to  
I will still remember  
Angel flying too close to the ground_

She would fly away and leave him to return to her world. That's what heroes were supposed to do, she thought. They make a sacrifice. Maybe that's how he would remember her, as an angel that flew too close to the ground.

* * *

Smallville – Five Hours Earlier

Clark had a smile on his face as he got everything ready. He figured she would be arriving soon. He took a quick glance around, but didn't see her. The sun was setting over the small lake, so he turned on the Christmas lights he'd strung up from the old trailer. He was nervous, but excited. It was a first step, but a big one he knew. They had spent a night together, but this was the first time they would actually talk and get to know each other. The only other time they'd really talked was the ill-fated lunch in Metropolis. He hoped tonight went better than that.

After talking with Jimmy, Clark had been rolling over the idea of asking her out in his mind. His friend did have a point about him not being able to compete as far as money went. If money was the only thing, Jimmy had a better chance than Clark did. Of course he was also Superman, which opened up far more possibilities, but Karen already knew he was Superman. He wasn't asking her out as Superman, but Clark Kent. The more he thought about it though, he realized he didn't want to fall into the trap so many people do. He didn't want to impress her with all the cool things he could do or how much he could spend. That took no effort or thought.

If he was going to ask her out, Clark realized he wanted her to understand that he saw her as special and unique. He wanted her to know that he liked her enough to show her he'd put some thought into it. Anyone could just Google the best restaurant or the hottest club, but by taking the time to think of something different he hoped she would understand how he thought of her. It wasn't a matter of money, if it was then there was others with far more of it than him.

The idea started to form in his head. He contacted the people running the farm back in Smallville and asked if they'd mind if he brought someone up here to the lake? They weren't using it and no one really came up here so it wasn't a problem. He borrowed one of those old single person trailers and hitched it to the back of the truck and drove it up to the side of the lake. He put up a thin canopy and strung Christmas lights all around it. Clark built a fire and figured he would cook out on it for their dinner. He shopped into town and picked out locally grown food that was as fresh as this morning's harvest. They could watch the sunset and listen to music, maybe even slow dance a bit.

He wanted this to be a date between Karen and Clark, but by having it out here they would be alone so if the urge took them they would only be revealing their powers to each other. They could be themselves, all of themselves out here together. He rechecked everything, making sure it was just as he wanted. He started the music; Kings of Leon's _Back Down South_ came on. Throwing a couple more logs on the fire, Clark took the pitcher of Sangria out of the little refrigerator of the trailer and poured out a glass. He sat down in one of the sling back chairs, nervous about her imminent arrival. He hoped this went well and maybe it would be the beginning of something special.

* * *

New York – Three Days Before

Karen had decided to get back to work on the Tunneler. The lost time couldn't be help, but she felt she was close to solving the puzzle of getting home. She tried Helena's number again, but only got her voice mail. Karen knew Helena was avoiding talking to her, as she probably already knew what Karen would say about going to Gotham. She prayed her best friend knew what she was doing, but feared she was getting in too deep.

Pulling up the latest reports, Karen began scanning them for what the scientists believed the problem was. She felt if she could immerse herself in the project maybe she could stop thinking about her personal life. The Tunneler was straight forward, a problem to be solved, while her personal life and the questions she had weren't so easy. In a way it was like concentrating on her schoolwork so she didn't have to think about what she was going to do about Friday night.

It was several hours later when her secretary buzzed her.

"Yes?"

"There's someone here to see you, Miss Starr."

"Who is it?" Karen asked.

"He says his name is Clark Kent."

Shit!

Karen quickly sat back and with a quick glance saw Clark was right outside her office. What was he doing here? Flustered, she tried to straighten her suit and quickly ran her fingers through her hair. He was the last person she was expecting. She did a quick check of her breath and started to stand up, but then sat back down.

"Miss Starr?' The secretary said over the loudspeaker.

"Um, yes, yes, well, I guess, um, send him in,' Karen finally replied.

As the door open, Karen started to stand up. When she saw Clark she began to raise her hand, but somehow it had gotten caught in the cable to her computer. She nearly jerked it off the desk and had to scramble to catch it before it tumbled to the floor. As she set it back in its place she glanced at Clark and saw he was smiling.

"Smooth,' he said.

"Ha-ha,' she replied. "What-what are you doing here, Clark?"

He closed the door and moved closer to her desk.

"Can I sit down?"

She nodded and pointed to one of the chairs. He sat and so did she.

"So?' She asked.

"I was wondering what you're doing this Saturday night?"

"Why?' she asked.

"Are you busy?" He replied.

"I don't know, probably not, why?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me?' He said.

"What? Like on a date?" She asked.

"Well, not like a date, a date,' he clarified.

"You're asking me out on a date?'

"Yes."

"What like dinner and a movie?" she asked.

"Something like that,' he replied.

"Why?"

"Cause I want to go out with you,' he explained. "So would you like to go out with me Saturday night, Karen?"

"It's kind of short notice, isn't it?" she said. "Is this really the best idea, Clark?"

"I don't know,' he admitted. "I thought we could try and find out. So yes or no on Saturday night, Karen?"

"Well, I guess, yes."

"Great." He stood up and she did too. He handed her a piece of paper. She glanced at it and saw it was directions to Smallville. She looked at him.

"Why don't you meet me there?" He said. "Or I could pick you up if you want?"

"No, I can get here on my own,' she replied.

"Okay, I'll see you Saturday night about sunset, okay?"

"O-Okay."

He smiled at her and then left her office. Karen sat down and glanced at the piece of paper again. Did she just make a date with Clark?


	21. Chapter 21

The Others

"When you can't let it go."

Nothing happens in a vacuum. In each of our lives it sometimes feels as if the world stops until we decide what we are going to do. It doesn't. We are but one pebble in the pond and the ripples we created continue out meeting and overlapping others. Independent of what we are doing others have their own lives and concerns. Each comes with their own agenda, desires and wants. Sometimes they sync with ours, but in most cases they don't. Things we thought we'd put in the past aren't always the past for others. They see the world differently then we do and respond accordingly.

* * *

Los Angeles

The third smartest man in the world would be quite an accomplishment for most people. For Michael Holt it was meaningless. Being a former athlete he certainly understood the concept of rankings and the desire to find out who was number one, but that stage of his life was behind him. Personal tragedy had tempered much of his desire for accolades and now he was really interested in only one thing, knowing.

It was a hunger for knowledge; to know how things worked and why they were that fueled him. Perhaps it always had and was the real reason he was the third smartest man in the world. Maybe that is the real secret for why some people are intelligent while others are just smart. Smart people can do well on a test, because they memorize the material. Intelligent people want to know why those answers are what they are. A smart person can become very successful focusing on one thing and mastering it. An intelligent person can become successful at many things, because they don't limit themselves and want to know more than just their narrow field.

Michael Holt was successful because he was brilliant, but behind all that was a need to know. If something eventually had practical implications that's was wonderful, but that didn't stop him from wanting to find out. If the only one it would benefit was him, then that was okay, because he couldn't let it go until he did.

Karen Starr was one of the things he couldn't let go. It wasn't their personal relationship and its ending that bothered him. He'd had his successes and failures before. What he couldn't let go of was why and how? The Quantum Tunneler was really a highly theoretical piece of equipment and while it fascinated him with it's possibilities, he knew it had no practical business implications. So why did she risk everything just to see his research?

The second question was how had she done it? He knew his security hadn't been breached, so the only way she could have duplicated the plans was from memory. He had only shown them to her for a few minutes, five at the most, yet she somehow seemed to have been able to replicate most of it with a few modifications. As complicated as the machine was, even Michael wasn't sure he could do that, so how had she?

He hadn't brought the police into it, because frankly he couldn't really prove anything. His model was just that, a model. With no obvious financial gain there seemed to be no motive for stealing it. It made no sense in any normal way and this is what intrigued Michael. Karen Starr was a fantastically successful young businesswoman. She seemed to have everything, looks, money, youth and success, so why would she be interested in the Quantum Tunneler of all things? That question nagged at him and he couldn't let it go.

Michael had monitored her progress from afar. The events in Japan only added to his interested. The young woman that was being calling Power Girl by the media certainly fit Karen's description. It was too much of a coincidence for them to be separate people. So if Karen had meta-powers, where did the Tunneler come in? He'd been rolling the problem over in his mind for months before an accident happened and he thought he might have a clue.

Michael had been to Earth 2.

It had been an unforeseen side effect of an experiment, but he managed to travel between dimensions. It was a world in chaos, fighting for it's very existence. The alien armies had the entire planet at their mercy. Beings that called themselves New Gods were the leaders and Earth's greatest heroes couldn't seem to stand against them. It was on Earth 2 that Michael first saw what everyone over there called a Boom Tube. A transdimensional gateway that seemed to open out of nowhere and transported the alien army to that world. It made him think of the Quantum Tunneler. Suddenly the machine had a practical use.

He had managed to return to this Earth, but wasn't sure he could duplicate the trip. Now back home, his thoughts turned to Karen Starr more and more. Could she be trying to duplicate one of those Boom Tubes and for what purpose? Was she trying to get to that world or bring something from there to here? Could she actually be from that world and somehow managed to travel to this one? Which side in the fight over there was she on? Did she pose a threat to this world?

Question after question came to his mind and he needed to know the answers. After witnessing first hand the devastation over there, he knew he couldn't allow that to get to this world. If she was as powerful as those New Gods he'd seen on the other Earth, how did he stop her? Was that even the reason she was working so hard on the Tunneler? Karen Starr might be a beautiful young woman, but also might be a grave threat to this world. Until he found the answers, Michael knew he couldn't let it go. He had to find out for sure before he did anything.

He needed a lure to catch her and the day's paper provided it for him. Researchers at CERN had just announced a breakthrough in something similar to the Quantum Tunneler. It was still in the highly unstable stage, but it showed promise. Michael had a feeling Karen Starr would soon be visiting and he planned on being there too.

* * *

Gotham

Damian Wayne was a young boy soon to be a young man. He was the product of both his parents and vestiges of them emerged at different times. As strange as his upbringing was, Damian was a child of a broken home. Like many such children he had a secret wish that one day his parents would be together again and they would be a family. On the surface it would seemed to make no sense, but these were his parents after all. What child of divorce hasn't at least once ideally wished for their parents to get back together?

In Damian's case, this seemed like a long shot, but again he was a child for all practical purposes. A child thinks if it wants something intensely enough it would eventually get it. Add to this the lessons Damian had already learned in his young life and this made for a volatile mix. For if his father showed interested in another woman, then his fantasy began to crumble. He would do anything in his power to make sure that didn't happen. Given who his parents and teachers were, that made young Damian a very dangerous boy.

There was also the issue of fathers and sons. Most crave attention and acceptance from their fathers. Damian was no different. If his father showed interested in another woman besides his mother, then Damian lost out on his father's attention. His mother had taught him well to allow no rivals in anything. She taught him to always be alert to possible threats and he took this to heart.

Helena.

Damian hadn't been blind to his father's interested in the young woman. Yes she was pretty, he would admit, but not as pretty as his mother. Now she was in Gotham and his father was already running over to her hotel to meet her. Damian didn't like it and didn't like her. She thought she was so cute using Pennyworth as a last name. She must have known it would get his father's attention and after watching them together he knew that's what she wanted. She wanted to take his father away from his mother and him.

Damian wasn't going to allow that to happen. His father might not like it, but his mother would understand. You protect the family, at all costs. That's what Damian planned to do, protect his family from this Helena woman.

* * *

The Watchtower

Hal Jordan stood at one of the windows looking out at the stars. They had always beckoned him even when he was a kid. Becoming a pilot like his old man seemed like the closest he would ever get to them, until he became a Green Lantern. Suddenly the stars were within reach. With each new mission and discovery the siren's song to be out there grew louder. Yet he couldn't seem to let Earth go. It was his home, his world, yet there was so much more out there now.

There were still times he felt like the same Hal Jordan, the wisecracking flyboy and lady-killer who enjoyed hanging out with his friend Barry and being part of the Justice League. Being part of what was known, as Earth's Greatest Heroes was such a rush, yet now he understood that there were so many worlds out there. Each needed his protection, the protection only a Lantern could provide. Their mission was so much larger than just one world and now it was Hal's mission too.

His time on Earth had become secondary. He would never admit it, but the Justice League could do just as well without him. Of course they were so much cooler and better with him, but that really wasn't the point. Hal knew he needed to pull back, to devote more of his time and energy to the Corps, but he continued to hesitate. Earth was such a part of him; he couldn't seem to let it go. He couldn't figure a graceful exit, one where he got to play the hero one more time on Earth before turning to galaxy that needed him. Maybe fate would help, but he wasn't counting on it.

* * *

Washington D.C.

Steve Trevor was having another miserable day. Between the endless meetings with Congress and the reporters hounding him with questions, it seemed everyone wanted to rub it in that Wonder Woman had dumped him. Each time he would politely tell them they didn't know what they were talking about, but in his mind he was saying something much simpler, "Fuck Off!" Of course he never said that, he was a professional. Steve had a job to do. In his mind he was protecting the Justice League and Diana.

He'd told everyone that so many times he even believed it himself. It wasn't personal; he was just doing his job. The problem was everything about Diana was personal for Steve. He was in love with her. He probably had been from the moment he met her. He'd certainly had his share of break ups in the past, some his doing and some not but he'd always accepted it and moved on. He couldn't seem to do that this time. He couldn't let it go.

When you find someone so perfect, so right, how can you just walk away? Deep down he still believed they had a chance. He just needed to give her more time to see how right they were for each other. If he tried moving on, he would just be comparing any new woman to her and they were bound to come up lacking. So he stayed in contact, doing his job to protect her from all the threats he knew were out there.

She had been so young when he first met her, 18. He was the first man she'd ever seen and she was so naïve about the world. She was also the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. At first he'd tried to tell himself he was just looking out for her. He was in his thirties and had more than his share of experience in this world, so like a big brother he wanted to help her. Soon though, he realized his feelings towards her weren't those of brotherly love.

He could still vividly remember the moment he told her he loved her. Her silence as she struggled with what to say seemed like an eternity. He actually cursed her for being unable to lie to him, to tell him she shared his feelings. She said she cared for him, just not in the way he cared for her. She probably didn't even realize what a gut punch that was. He told himself he accepted it, but he couldn't let it go. He couldn't let her go. He was still in love, desperately in love with her.

At his core, Steve was a good man. He was a soldier and hero saving lives many times over. The situation he found himself in was so different than anything he'd gone through before. He didn't want to be the creepy ex-boyfriend that couldn't accept it was over, but that was the role he was being cast in. He clung to the idea that he was doing the job not just for her, but for the whole League and that it was important work. The problem was he really didn't like or care for the other members, just Diana. There was also the irony that he was good at his job, he made a great advocate for the Justice League. It was just slowly killing him inside to see her and not be with her.

He just couldn't seem to let it go.

* * *

Gotham

Selina Kyle had come to the old hotel because rich people stayed at the old hotel. Rich people meant money and jewels, two things she liked very much. Always the curious sort, she found it interesting when Bruce Wayne of all people arrived at the hotel. Her interest increased when she saw the young woman he was meeting. Selina remembered seeing her at the trade show in New York. What she was doing in Gotham held a mild interest for Selina, but what really got her interested was when she noticed young Robin doing surveillance on the same young woman.

Robin meant Batman and Selina was always captivated by anything that had to do with him. She knew Robin hated her, some sort of mommy issues she thought, but why would he be tailing the young woman? Searching her memory, Selina came up with the name Helena, but didn't remember the last name. Was Helena somehow connected with Bruce Wayne or Batman, Selina couldn't help wondering? If it was Batman, Selina wanted to know how.

The more she thought about it the more she didn't like the idea. There were already rumors about him with Talia al Ghul, so Selina figured she had enough competition. Let this Helena play with Bruce Wayne if she wanted, but stay away from Batman. As this thought went through Selina's mind she found she didn't like the idea of Helena with Bruce Wayne either. It just felt wrong somehow, but she couldn't put a finger on why.

Maybe she'd do some investigating of her own into this Helena woman. At least she wanted to find out why that little prick Robin was so interested in her. Selina glanced at the old hotel and knew the wise thing was to forget about Helena and just do what she'd come to do. Let Robin and whoever worry about the young woman, it wasn't Selina's concern. The only problem with that was her curiosity was peaked and once that happened Selina always had trouble letting it go. It might be the wise thing to do, but she just couldn't let it go.

* * *

Washington

There is always a learning curve. Diana knew this when she arrived in the outside world, but had embraced it. Floating effortlessly over the city, she realized how far she had come and how far she still had to go. She had no illusions about how difficult it would be. Diana felt ready for all the challenges she would face except one, Steve. She saw him earlier on the television being ambushed outside a store by reporters. The questions of course involved her. She hated he had to deal with that.

Steve was a good and decent man, yet he was killing himself with this job. Diana cared for him deeply, just not the way he wanted her to. That was the agony of it; once the words were spoken she could never take them back. He said he understood, but it seemed he couldn't let it go. She knew seeing her and having to talk about her in his job was just twisting the knife. She'd never wanted that, but now she understood you couldn't make someone understand what he or she didn't want to understand.

Silently landing on one of the great monuments, Diana sat down and watched the people below. They were strangers, but now that seemed to be all she had. Hera's wrath against her mother and sisters meant Diana was truly alone in the world. She had no one to ask about what she should do. The closest people to her she realized were her teammates in the Justice League, yet most of them seemed to want to let her handle the situation with Steve on her own. She suspected they knew of the break up, yet they had never mentioned it to her.

She had liked the idea of joining a team at the beginning. Being new to the world, she thought it would help with her transition. Five years in she realized they had become her friends, but not her close friends. She didn't even know who two of them were behind the uniforms they wore. It would have been nice to be able to turn to one of them and ask their opinion or advice, but it seemed that wasn't part of the deal. She watched the way Barry and Hal were together and had to admit a bit of envy at their friendship. She would have liked to have that, but when she worked with those two she always felt like the outsider. If Hal wasn't hitting on her, he didn't seem to know what to say and Barry always seemed to bit intimidated by her.

Arthur and Batman always seemed consumed with worries about their own kingdoms to really become close with. They were the oldest of the group and in many ways their concerns seemed different from the rest. Victor was the opposite, the youngest but closer to Diana's age of twenty-three. She sensed they shared confusion with how they fit into this world, but he was still struggling so hard with his own issues, she didn't have the heart to burden him with hers.

That left the member she had the fewest dealings with, Superman. Diana couldn't help noticing him always floating around the edges, never the center. It seemed strange to her that of all her teammates he was the one she felt the most alike. He was as different as she was, maybe even more so. At the beginning she would have thought it would be Arthur because of their shared royal heritage and coming from a world inside, yet outside this one. Those it turned out were just the surface facts and at their core they were just as different as she was from the others.

In battle it was always Superman she felt the most comfortable fighting next to. He rarely spoke, but she always felt he had her back. She realized recently he had all of their backs, not just hers. Still she felt closer to him than the others. It didn't really make sense, but when she thought about the few conversations they'd had, Diana had been able to open up with him more than with the others. She really knew nothing about him, except he was a reporter in his other life. She didn't know his actual name, although he had told her his Kryptonian name, Kal-El. Still she couldn't help wonder if maybe he was the one to talk to about all of this. Maybe he would understand better than anyone else.

* * *

Smallville

Then there was the one at the center of the ripples, Karen. She came back here the next day just to see it one more time. He had cleaned everything up and the trailer was gone. Why she came back when she couldn't the day before, she didn't know, she just had to somehow. As much as she wanted to, she just couldn't seem to let it go.


	22. Chapter 22

Last Dance

Metropolis– 1:53 AM

Streamers of gold and silver crisscrossed the ceiling as confetti continued to rain down on everyone. Spotlights danced over the assembled crowd as the celebrity DJ played. Morgan Edge's latest endeavor was a huge success. It was a hell of a party and people would be talking about it for weeks. Clark would remember that last glance from Karen over her shoulder as she walked away. It seemed to say so many things other than what she had said, good-bye.

* * *

New York – Two Days earlier

Karen felt her heart beating wildly in her chest as she stared at the computer screen. CERN had done it, created a portal. The article said it was still highly experimental, but just from the few details she gleaned it sounded like just what she was looking for, a way home. It almost didn't seem real to her and each time she looked away from the screen she expected the story to be gone when she looked back. But it didn't disappear it was real. She thought of calling Helena, but stop herself. She didn't want to get her friend's hopes up only to see them crushed again. No she would check this all out personally before she told her.

Home. It was a word that conjured up so many things in her mind. People and places she'd begun to think she would never see again. The life she'd built in this world had always been based on one simple premise, do whatever it takes to get back home. Now it seemed within her reach. She should have been overjoyed, but another online article kept tamping down her enthusiasm. Morgan Edge was having a gala in two days to launch the newest media arm of his corporation. It was a cross platform event and all the stars of his vast media holdings were scheduled to be present. One name stood out to her, Clark Kent.

He would hate it, she thought. She could almost picture him sticking to the edges of the party, suffering through it because corporate demanded his presence. Would he have a date, she wondered? Would he be alone, putting on a brave face so others wouldn't notice he didn't have anyone with him? Or had he moved on to someone else?

This last thought shouldn't have annoyed her, but it did. Karen told herself he was better off without her, but that didn't make the idea of him with someone else any easier to take. It suddenly hit her that if these developments at CERN were what she thought, she would never see him again. Her excitement of a few moments ago waned. It seemed nothing could be simple anymore. Karen felt pulled in two directions and there was no easy answers.

He probably doesn't even want to see me, she thought. After she'd stood him up he'd probably given up on her for good. Maybe that was for the best for both of them. It seemed she hurt him no matter what she did, even without trying. At that moment she didn't feel like a world famous head of a huge corporation, but the twenty two year old young woman that she was. Emotions, choices, obligations, there were so many and they seemed determined to pull her apart at the seams.

The hardest part was she still wanted to see him, even if it was just once more. She couldn't seem to let it go.

* * *

Gotham

Damian had been following Helena all day. She seemed to be aimlessly wandering all over the city, stopping in one store after another. By the time she went into Victoria's Secret, Damian was really starting to hate her. God, what is it with women and shopping, he wondered? Why do they need a whole store for that? Why was she in that store anyway? He didn't even want to think what she was doing or worse buying in there.

He was sure she didn't know he was tailing her, but he would have sworn she was screwing with him like she did know. The hour and a half trying on shoes had been so mind numbing he almost gave up. Just pick a pair lady and move on. No, she couldn't do that, could she? She had to try on twenty different ones and in all the various stupid colors they came in. To make matters worse she didn't even buy any.

Okay, there she is finally coming out of the store. Oh, God, she bought something! Gross. This is the worst stakeout I've ever been on. I swear she's fucking with me, that's the only answer. But how could she when she doesn't even know I'm here? Still sure feels like she's fucking with me. Just keep track of her, see where she goes. Information on your opponent is vital Batman's always preaching.

I feel like just going down there and knocking her to the curb and telling her to get the hell out of Gotham, but I'm supposed to be a good guy and good guy's don't do that they keep reminding me. Oh, she's going into her hotel. Great she's probably going to try on all the crap she bought today. God, this is the shittiest stakeout ever! I hate this girl!

* * *

Metropolis –11:45 PM

Clark stood against one of the walls and sipped his punch as he watched his coworkers enjoy the party. He hadn't really felt like coming to this, but the word from corporate had come down that everyone was to be there. The word mandatory wasn't used, but it didn't take a genius to figure out it was implied.

He didn't have a date.

It seemed everyone else did, even Jimmy, but Clark was alone. His ego was still a little bruised from his last attempt, so the thought of asking someone new held little interest at the moment.

The idea of being part of Morgan Edge's latest venture into blurring the line between news and entertainment wasn't sitting well with Clark. A twenty-four hour network filled with what Edge described as 'opinion makers' yet he managed to never once mention reporters. That was by design, as Clark knew since reporting involved facts, while giving your opinions didn't always have to meet those standards. Opinion makers always had an ominous sound to it, Clark thought. It suggested not just giving the facts and letting people decide on their own, but telling them what and how they should think about a certain subject. Whether it was from the right or the left didn't matter, it was still a clear shaping of the news to fit a certain worldview and agenda.

Perhaps that's why newspapers were dying, he wondered. How could telling the readers about corporate corruption compete against pictures of some princess topless? Gossip and opinion were much easier to sell than complicated investigative reporting. At one time the media was considered the forth estate, the advocate of the people, but now it was a moneymaker. In the world of Twitter everything was reduced to 140 characters, there was no second paragraph to give more detail.

Clark smiled and returned the greetings of some of his coworkers. He chatted a bit about the new developments with some of the outside media covering the event but mostly he was watching the clock trying to figure out just how soon he could leave. For the most part he kept his opinions neutral, as this was a corporate function and Morgan Edge did pay his salary. You don't piss on the boss's new baby, at least not right in front of him. Wow, that was a horrible analogy, Clark thought, good thing you're a reporter not a poet.

He could hear the subject of Superman come up from different locations around the party. Clark realized a while ago that he was part of the gossip and opinion world. People loved to speculate about him like any other celebrity. It was one of the reasons he'd been so hesitant to step into the spotlight. He couldn't stop people from gossiping, but he could limit the fodder they could use. What he was trying to do had nothing to do with any of that.

A better world.

He'd said that at the press conference. He hadn't planned on saying, but now it seemed to have stuck. Superman had been dubbed the Man of Tomorrow fighting for a Better World. By implication the Justice League had been lumped into it with him. He might not want the spotlight, but it seemed determined to find him. He guessed it was better than some of the things that had been said about him before, alien, freak, menace, and threat.

It would have been nice having a date though. Clark didn't miss the subtle looks in everyone's eyes when they saw he was alone. They probably expected it. It was just a momentary thing, but he could almost hear them think, aw, that's too bad he couldn't get a date. Hell, Lois had tried setting him up with her sister, so that should tell him everything he needed to know. He wondered what they'd say if he told them Karen Starr had stood him up only a week ago.

They wouldn't believe him, of course. Why should they? He was just as confused about her as he'd ever been. He might be invulnerable, but that still hurt. As he looked around at his coworkers and their dates, it wasn't really envy he felt. If push came to shove, Clark was pretty sure he could have gotten a date for this, but would that really be fair to whomever he asked? Part of him was saying to let Karen go, she'd made her wishes perfectly clear by not showing up, but another part felt like something was unfinished between them.

It must be something about Kryptonian women, he thought, cause he'd never been this confused with anyone else.

So he was here alone. For now that was probably for the best. He would suffer through the judging looks and the offers of setting him up with a friend. Apparently women that were great conversationalists and had great senses of humor were what everyone considered Clark's type. Those did seem like qualities you'd want in a date, he would admit, although Steve's suggested about fixing him up with a gal that had her own car felt more like a dig than anything else.

It was almost midnight and Morgan Edge would be speaking at the top of the hour. This was so he could dominate two news cycles and for dramatic effect launch the network at midnight. He might not be interested in actual news, but he did know how to promote. The speech would be short, so Clark figured he could slip out when it was done. There would be champagne and cheers, confetti and streamers, so he wouldn't be missed. He'd let those with dates enjoy the party without him.

* * *

Gotham

Helena had spotted Damian as she left the hotel. Did that little prick really think he could tail me without me knowing, she wondered? God, having Talia as his mother must have turned him into a stalker. Well screw him, my dad was Batman too. Even better my mother was Catwoman and if anyone knew how to screw with little punks she did. Boy that didn't come out right, Helena thought.

I was Robin before he was. Sure, different worlds, but if that little snot thinks he's going to get one over on me, he's got another thing coming. He wants to follow me? Okay, let's see what do little boys love to do? Shopping? Absolutely not, so let's start there. Gotham has lots and lots of high-end stores just waiting. Let's see how he likes shoe shopping and then taking it from there. Follow me will you? Well, let's just fuck with little Damian for a while, Helena thought with a smug smile.

* * *

New York – One Day ago

Karen had gotten herself an invitation to tour the CERN project. They had even graciously faxed over some of the plans for its design. As it was a multinational project, large companies like Karen's had been assisting in the development, so this helped get her access. She'd been pouring over the designs all morning and it looked very promising. All the details weren't there, but from what she could extrapolate it seemed exactly what she'd been looking for. She had to be sure before she contacted Helena. Karen's tour was in four days, so she would be able to see it all with her own eyes and know whether it was what they needed or not.

Four days seemed like a lifetime.

Glancing down at the plans she went over them one more time. She was almost certain this was the way home. Six months ago she could have walked away from everything on this world and never looked back. Things had changed. She may have screwed everything up, but she at least owed him a good-bye. He may have already thought it was good-bye concerning her, but she wanted him to hear it from her lips, as she looked him in the eye. If she didn't, she knew she would regret it the rest of her life.

* * *

Gotham

Selina was enjoying herself immensely. Watching young Robin tailing this Helena chick was too funny for words. The little bastard must be squirming in his tights watching her go from store to store. Selina had to admit she liked the young woman's style. She obviously knew Robin was following her, but instead of confronting him she was fucking with him. Selina couldn't have thought of anything better herself. Whoever this Helena was, someone taught her how to have fun.

* * *

Metropolis –12:12 A.M.

Morgan Edge had finished his speech to great fanfare. Much like a convention speech balloons, confetti and streamers showering down from the ceiling followed it. The cameras were turned off and the party got underway for real. As if on cue the celebrity DJ came to life and everyone moved towards the dance floor. This was his cue. Clark set his glass of punch down and started for the exit, hoping no one would notice. He was about fifteen feet away when he stopped.

Karen was standing in the doorway.

What was she doing here? She looked amazing in a stylish cream dress with a black jacket over it, but he still wasn't sure what was going on. When she saw him, she smiled and took a small step towards him. She seemed nervous, maybe a little afraid, but she took another step and then another until she was standing in front of him. He could feel almost every eye watching, or it might have just been his imagination. Then again, they probably weren't looking at him so it was a possibility.

"Hi." She tentatively said.

"Hi,' he replied. "What-What are you doing here, Karen?"

"Well, um, it's just that, well, um, I sort of owe you a date,' she awkwardly offered.

"A date?' He replied skeptically.

"That's right, a date,' she said. "I said I would, so, well, um, here I am."

"You're a little late."

"Too late?" She asked.

"For that date, yeah,' he replied.

"I know, I'm sorry,' she said. "Couldn't we try again, now?

"I don't know, Karen,' Clark said. "This, I don't know what we're doing anymore. It's too hard."

"No, it's not,' she replied. "Would you like to dance?"

"What?"

"I'm asking you to dance, Clark. Please?"

"All right.

He gently took her arm and ushered her out onto the dance floor. They moved into each other's arms to start dancing. He knew everyone was watching them, but in the moment he really didn't care. She was here, now and in his arms. That seemed like enough for now.

One dance effortlessly became another and another. It was at the end of a particularly romantic slow song that Karen tilted her head up and kissed him. He returned it, looking into her eyes. There were tears in them.

"Karen?"

"Thanks for the date, Clark,' she whispered.

"What's going on?"

"I'm leaving."

"When? Where?" He asked.

"Soon and some place …. Far away,' she said. "I don't think I'll ever be back."

"What is this all about, Karen?"

"I wanted to say good-bye in person, Clark and to tell you I'm sorry,' she whispered. "I should go. Good-bye."

He stood there as she pulled from his arms and moved towards the exit. For just a moment she glanced back over her shoulder at him. There was tear in her eye and unspoken words on her lips. In the next moment she was gone, He didn't follow her with his vision. Streamers and confetti continued to fall as the party went on.


	23. Chapter 23

The Twist

Gotham

Helena had been thoroughly enjoying her time in Gotham. Even though it wasn't her Gotham, it still felt like home. The cat and mouse game she'd been playing now included Bruce, Selina and Damian. At one time or another she was sure each of them had her under surveillance. If they had been coordinated they could have probably kept her under 24-hour watch, but as it was there were small gaps when no one was watching her. She'd done nothing with this information the first few days, as there was always a chance it was a ploy to get her to make a mistake. She never let herself forget whom she was dealing with.

Everything was working perfectly until the fiction she had spun for Bruce Wayne suddenly became real. Her story had been based on facts. There was a group reportedly planning on trying to smuggle a mutation bomb into Gotham. She had only heard it was in the planning stage when she broke up the arms dealers/white slavery syndicate in Europe. The group had approached the head of the syndicate to use one of their couriers. Helena had assumed once she brought them down the deal was dead. There is an old saying about when you assume and Helena unhappily realized it was true.

She didn't know the man's name, but she recognized him. He'd been the top courier for the syndicate. He hadn't been caught in the roll up of that organization, though he was wanted all across the continent, so it seemed he'd gone freelance. The reported five million dollars for transporting the device to Gotham would have been the only thing that would get him to take this risk.

It was time to put the games aside, she knew. Helena called Bruce Wayne at the mansion, but was told he was out of town until further notice. That could mean so many things. If he was in town and just in the Batman mode, she had to get his attention. That meant the Huntress had to make her presence known in Gotham.

* * *

Metropolis

Clark was good at pretending. Sitting in his apartment playing video games with Jimmy he could almost believe he was just like everyone else. Almost. He'd grown up on this world just like everyone around him, yet there were always reminders that he was different. With each passing year they seemed to come into more focus. For a while he'd tried pretending he was what he might have been, that is until he met Kara, or Supergirl as the world had dubbed her. She was family, but he only knew this by watching holograms. She still wasn't sure it was true. Confused and angry, she was still holding Clark at arms length. When he'd offered to help her, she resisted, even threatened to fight him if she had to. So he let her go, knowing he would never understand what she was going through.

Always pretending to fit in, to be like everyone else, yet knowing he wasn't seemed to be Clark's curse. Yet he did share so much with all of them. Kryptonian or not, he knew what sadness was, knew what joy felt like the same as everyone else and most especially he knew all about loneliness.

He hadn't wanted to, he'd tried resisting it, but he couldn't stop himself from wondering what it might be like to have Karen Starr in his life. The brief times they spent together he wasn't Clark Kent or Superman, just himself. For once he didn't have to pretend. Having never felt it before, he hadn't even realized how desperately he'd always wanted that. Now it seemed his chance was gone. She had said good-bye.

* * *

Paris

Karen's tour of the CERN project had been delayed for a week. Some anomalies had cropped up she was told and they wanted to check them out before letting anyone visit. She said she understood, but inwardly sighed at the delay. Five years she'd been waiting to get home. She felt so close this time, as if it were right at her fingertips, yet still she couldn't touch it. Another week in this world shouldn't have mattered, but with each delay the urge to remain was growing within her. As badly as she'd messed everything up, Karen still believed there was a chance for her and Clark. That chance only happened if she stayed.

She'd been playing phone tag with Helena all week. Karen left messages about the project in CERN and Helena replied they sounded promising, but something in her voice made Karen think she wasn't as interested as Karen was. She knew Helena was in Gotham, which was a mistake. That was probably why she wasn't answering Karen's calls directly; she didn't want to hear how she was playing with fire.

Karen knew she was hardly one to talk. All this time she'd been preaching about not getting too involved in this world and what does she do? Fall for Clark Kent. She'd been fighting it so hard that now that it seemed she was finally going home it felt hollow. The days seemed to tick by intolerably slow. This meant she had even more time to think. She felt a sense of responsibility to her Earth. She had lost her Krypton when she was a teenager and her cousin and Earth had taken her in, sheltered her even as a war raged all around her. Her cousin and Helena's parents sacrificed their lives in that war. Didn't Karen owe it to them to carry on their legacy? Wasn't it selfish to put her personal desires and wants above getting back?

The problem was she was seventeen when all of that happened. What seemed so clear-cut at that age looked different at twenty-two. So as the days dragged on and she got closer to the actual tour, Karen couldn't help wondering what did she owe to everyone else and did that mean there was nothing left for her? Where was the line as to how much of a sacrifice each of us must make?

She hadn't found any answers and the tour was tomorrow. A sense of unstoppable destiny seemed to hang over her, as if the choice wasn't in her hands any more. Her name and whom she was related to seemed to make it all inevitable.

* * *

Gotham

It felt good to be back in uniform, especially in Gotham. Maybe it was something about whose child she was, but Helena always felt more comfortable at night. There was just something in the air that put an extra spring in your step and all your senses on full alert. Danger and excitement mingled in the shadows.

As she moved across the city tracking the courier, Helena still hadn't seen any sign of Batman. Her presence as the Huntress should have elicited some response by now. The thought that maybe she had picked the one night Batman wasn't in Gotham crossed her mind. Just my luck, she thought, he decides not to be here when I actually want him to be. Well, I was trained by the best, so I'll just have to handle this threat myself. Batman can thank me later.

Moving towards the waterfront, she kept the courier in sight. He seemed to be heading towards the Iceberg Lounge, the Penguin's floating den of vice. Why is it on either world everything eventually leads here, Helena wondered? She'd heard rumors a similar plot had almost happened here a few years back, but a group of female heroes broke it up. Well, since it seemed Batman was out of town that meant another female hero was going to have to stop it this time, namely the Huntress.

Helena was just working herself into the best vantage point when she felt the stinging slap against her leg. Another in quick order followed it and as she turned she saw Damian, dressed as the Robin welding a long pole.

"You're not welcome here,' he hissed at her. The pole stabbed at her, but Helena managed to dodge it, rolling out of his reach momentarily. Damian was still attacking and she had to scramble just to stay out of his reach. Damn it, the little punk is really good with that pole, she thought. Well, his mother is the head of the League of Assassins, so that kind of figures.

"I didn't come here to fight you,' Helena said, dodging his thrusts again.

"Then you shouldn't have come here at all,' Damian replied.

Brat, she thought, flipping out of the way and then counter attacking. He vaulted easily over her and caught her flush across the back with the pole. Helena stumbled, but quickly regained her balance. He kept in close, so her crossbow was useless. She was on the defensive, constantly trying to stay out of his range. She realized he was herding her towards the edge, keeping her busy with the pole while he set her up in position to finish her. Clever, but she wasn't going down that easily. She could almost hear her parents, her father preaching tactics while her mother just said to kick the little bastard's ass. Helena feinted a move to the left and Damian lunged at her, wanting to push her over the edge. Sliding sideways and using his momentum, she let the pole slash by and elbowed him in the face, knocking him down. He was up immediately, the pole still in his hands.

"Look, we can continue, but a courier is delivering a bomb down there,' Helena said, pointing towards the floating nightclub.

Damian looked at her for a moment.

"Why should I believe anything you say?"

Punk, Helena thought in frustration.

"You know what sort of place that is, Robin,' she said. "I can show you who the courier is if you'll let me. The bomb is a mutation device and it will kill thousands. Just take a look, he's right there."

She turned to point to the man and Damian used this opportunity to strike. The pole lashed across her face, cutting her. He followed this with a whirling hit to the back of her legs that sent her to her knees.

"You shouldn't have taken your focus off me, that was a mistake,' he said, as he raised the pole for another devastating hit. He was just starting to bring it down, when a whip came out of nowhere and snagged it.

"What the hell?" He shouted.

Catwoman stepped out of the shadows. She gave the whip a snap and the pole was jerked from his hands.

"Little boys should listen more and they might learn something,' she said.

"Great, wisdom from another tramp,' he grumbled.

Helena was back on her feet, bruised and a little bloody, but ready if the fight continued. She looked at Selina and wasn't sure what to say.

"Um, ah, well, thanks,' she finally managed to get out.

"Don't thank me yet,' Selina replied. "You better be telling the truth about this courier, or I might just help the little snot kick your ass."

"I don't need your help,' Damian spat back at her.

"Oh, shut up."

"Bitch."

"I'm telling the truth about the courier,' Helena interjected. "He's smuggling the bomb into Gotham for an extremist group out of Europe. I tracked them here."

Selina looked at Helena. Something about her she just seemed to trust. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it was there. It was almost instinct the way she liked the other young woman. Weird, Selina thought and then pushed those thoughts away.

"All right, this is my city too, after all, I guess we better check it out,' she said. Helena just nodded. Selina glanced at Damian. "Are you coming?"

"Can I have my pole back?" He asked.

"Not yet. Be a good boy and maybe I'll let you play with it later,' Selina said with a smile. Damian just grumbled at this but didn't reply. Helena had to will herself not to smile, as that sounded so much like her mom. Selina turned to her again.

"Well, lead the way. Huntress, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is." Mom, Helena added in her head.

* * *

The Watchtower

Diana felt a sense of foreboding as she transported into the station. The others had already arrived and she could feel the tension between Aquaman and Batman. While Arthur and she might be the faces of the League, Batman still exerted considerable power as a leader behind the scenes. She knew it would come to a head one of these days and they would be forced to choice sides. Glancing at the other members, she nodded hello to Victor and Barry and tried not to react to Hal winking at her.

She didn't see him at first, but somehow she knew he was there. Superman. As always he was hovering in the background, yet once she found him Diana found herself continuing to glance over at him. He always kept himself apart from everyone, almost deliberately. He was so different from all of them, yet so similar in many ways to her.

Now that they were all present, Batman began to outline a new threat. The sense of foreboding came rushing back as Diana listened to him detail how the villain had tortured and interrogated some of their enemies to learn more about them. Barry and Hal didn't see what the problem was, but Victor summed it up perfectly.

"He knows more about us then we do, including our weaknesses."

"What weaknesses?' Hal instantly said.

Victor went on to relate how much this Graves knew about all of them, even the friend Diana visited on the Apache reservation.

It was Arthur that asked, "I thought your mother lived on Paradise Island?"

"She does,' Diana uncomfortably replied. "It's someone else, a friend, like-like Steve."

"Steve is just a friend?' Arthur questioned.

Diana let that pass as Victor continued saying that Graves even knew Batman trusted no one.

"I'm sure we're all in shock." Hal sarcastically offered. There was a pause as Batman just glared at Hal.

"Graves doesn't know everything. Batman trusts me."

It was Superman who spoke. Diana was more than a bit surprised by this, as he rarely said anything at these meetings. Hal turned and questioned him. He didn't answer, but Victor did. A reporter, always observing, it suddenly made some sort of sense to Diana that would be Superman's other job. She found herself wanting to know more about him and that other life.

"So, some of us know each other's secrets and some of us are still in the dark." She said this looking straight at Superman. He looked at her and for a moment she thought he was going to say something, but then Barry mentioned it was suddenly getting cold in the room. Victor said Steve Trevor's access codes had just been used and the foreboding came back even stronger.

Graves appeared. When he spoke about Steve it was like a knife through her heart. This is what she'd feared all this time. He almost mocked her when she asked what he'd done to Steve. Instincts kicked in and she lunged at him to strike him down. What happened next, Diana had no experience with to describe. Suddenly all her sorrow, all the tragedy that had occurred in her young life bombarded her. It was overwhelming and she started to collapse. Dimly she was aware of Superman catching her and speaking her name, but the horror was just too great. She could do nothing as one by one they succumb to the same fate.

* * *

Switzerland

Half a world away, Karen's tour was finally here. Her emotions were all over the map, but she tamped them down and put on a smile for the people. She played the rich dabbler and they all seemed to buy it. The fact that she had created a billion dollar company seemed to slip their minds for some reason and they just took her as a gorgeous, spoiled young rich girl. That worked out fine for her. A mildly attractive younger doctor named Fritz _something_ volunteered to show her around. The fewer people the better she thought so she accepted.

Once they were alone, he tried putting the moves on her. She played nice for a while, but he was the least interesting thing in the entire place. Using her X-ray vision she scanned the whole workings, memorizing every detail. It seemed like just what she'd been looking for all this time.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Karen someone else was with her on the tour, Michael Holt. He knew she wouldn't be able to resist this, so he'd planned ahead. Having seen some of what the people on the other Earth could do, he made sure he was completely invisible to all the senses. He watched her flirt with the younger doctor, an act he'd seen personally before. There was something about the way she looked at the machine that raised the hairs on the back of his hand. It was the same look she gave the plans for his quantum device. Was she studying this machine with the same idea in mind, he wondered?

Suddenly the whole wing shook, as a loud boom rumbled through it. Michael had a bad feeling about this. He watched as Karen knocked out the doctor and pushed him away from the source. She was moving towards it and he was right behind her. A portal was opening, just like the ones he'd seen on the other side. He wasn't about to let her bring over anything from there to here.

* * *

Karen moved towards the developing portal. It reminded her so much of the one that had brought her here. She couldn't see clearly into it, but the desperate thought that this was her ticket home came to mind. She slowly moved forward feeling the pull of it as it expanded. She could almost reach out and touch it, then something dropped between her and the portal. An explosion knocked her off her feet and the portal fluctuated.

"NO!" She screamed as she scrambled back to her feet.

"I'm not going to allow any visitors coming through that boom tube, Karen."

She turned and saw Michael Holt materialize.

"Michael? What are you doing here?"

It took her a moment, but she realized he had called it a boom tube. How did he know that was what it was?

"I've seen what you New Gods did to the other Earth, Karen, I'm not going to allow you to bring that to this one,' he replied.

"You've seen?"

"Yes, and I'm closing that damn thing before you can bring your friends over."

"Michael, no, I'm not one of them!" Karen cried. "I'm stuck here. I just want to get back home, please, you have to believe me!"

"Why?"

"Cause you said you've seen what it's like there,' she offered. "I want to help stop it. Please, Michael, I'm begging you, I just want to go home!"

He could hear the desperation in her voice. The look in her eyes made him want to believe her. He took a step towards her but then the portal flashed open again and something came flying through.

"NO! Karen screamed. It was a parademon and it lunged at Michael. They tumbled to the ground and two more came through the boom tube. Karen moved into action, taking them on. She wasn't going to let them do to this world what they did to hers. Moving at incredible speed, she took the two down and tossed them back through the portal and then went over and pulled the third off Michael. Once it was dispatched back to where it came from she turned to see if he was all right.

"Michael?"

"I'm okay. Thank you." He replied. She gave him a smile of relief, but then something reached through the portal and latched on to her. Michael lunged forward and grasped her hand, but she was pulled away from him into the boom tube.

"NO!" Karen screamed, as the force was more than she could break. She felt the boom tube all around her. She looked at Michael and shouted, "Tell Helena! Tell Clark! I'm sorry!"

And then she was gone and the boom tube collapsed back in on itself.

"Oh God,' Michael gasped, as the realization of his mistake hit him. It seemed even the third smartest man in the world could be wrong.

* * *

Washington

Graves had disappeared and they had all followed. He went to Steve's sister's house and then disappeared again as soon as they arrived. Diana immediately went over to see if Tracy Trevor was all right. Through her tears, Tracy said the words Diana had been dreading all this time.

"Why couldn't you have stayed away from Steve? You already broke his heart. You ruined his self worth, but he still dedicated his life to you. He could already be dead because of you. My brother could be dead!"

There it was, exactly what Diana had feared all this time. It seemed his sister knew the truth, even if Steve wouldn't admit it. He was still doing all of this for her. The guilt was overwhelming to Diana and she vowed she would make Grave's pay for all of this. She vaguely heard Graves had a cabin in Vermont and that was all she needed to hear. Batman asked where she was going.

"To find Graves, cut off his head and bring Steve back home."

"We don't cut people's heads off,' Batman replied.

"I do."

Lantern jumped in and tried to stop her. Words, he just kept talking, but continued to stop her from saving Steve. Finally Diana had enough and lashed out. One punch apparently wasn't enough to stop Hal from interfering and he came back at her. Diana didn't have time for this and took the fight to him. She was so angry, she would have cut him in two if something hadn't stop her sword. She kicked without even looking to see what or who it was. Too late she realized it was Superman. Before she could say anything Lantern was back at her. They started to fight again and then Victor transported them all away.

They were in Grave's cabin. The tension between her and Lantern was still there, but Arthur stepped between them.

"We all want to bring Trevor home, but we're going to do that faster as a team."

Diana relented, trying to calm down.

"Agreed," she finally said.

"Sure,' Hal replied.

She was just about to react to his sarcastic tone, when Superman stepped in front of her.

"I'm going to feel that for a while."

Regret filled her; she had not meant to lash out at him.

"Superman, I was …." She started to offer.

"Worried, I get it, but we only want to help, Diana."

He used her name again, and some of the anger seemed to slip away. He just held her gaze, almost as if he were trying to reassure her without words. From the side she heard Hal talking to Barry.

"How come when I said that, she wouldn't listen?" Hal asked.

"Superman's better with words than you and he's more charismatic, smarter, taller, and better looking too,' Barry replied.

"Sorry I asked." Hal snidely said.

Absently Diana thought she agreed with Barry's assessment.

Batman got all their attention as he found the clue to where Graves was. In the next moment they were in the Valley of the Souls. They moved inside the temple and what happened on the Watchtower happened again. The torment, the guilt the sadness all came rushing back. Then Diana saw him, Steve or the ghost of him and he said she was too late.

* * *

Gotham

They stopped the courier. Catwoman, Robin and Huntress had managed to work together for a short time. Helena secretly loved fight along side Selina. Even if it wasn't her mother, it was close enough. Once they had stopped the courier and the person he was meeting, Damian tried to attack her again, but she managed to fight him off. The little brat, she thought as she got back to her hotel. Slipping down the side of the building, she eased the window open and climbed silently inside. She was just shutting it when the lights came on. Helena whirled around to find Michael Holt standing by the door.

"Your friend Karen's in trouble and she needs our help,' he said.

Helena forgot everything else in that moment.

* * *

Washington

Graves had been defeated and Steve was alive. Diana tried one more time to get though to Steve in the hospital, but he still wouldn't listen. She told him it was her fault. When she said he was tortured, beaten and almost killed because of their relationship he had lashed out at her, accusing her of ending it and throwing what they had away. It all came pouring out, how he only saw her over a computer screen for the last year and how the League still needed him to protect them just like he'd been protecting her since she arrived. Diana tried to tell him she didn't need protecting, but it was already too late for that. He finally just told her to go, leave and reluctantly she did.

Sitting on top of the monument, she felt the loneliness overwhelm her. It had almost been a disaster for Steve, yet he couldn't let it go. She tried so many different ways to tell him she was sorry she didn't feel the same way he did, but he wouldn't hear her. Looking out over the people walking around the mall, Diana couldn't help feeling so different, so alien compared to them. Maybe they knew how to handle this sort of thing better than she did. It seemed there was one more reason she felt so different then everyone else. They were so fragile compared to her. Her mother and sisters were gone and Diana had never felt quiet so alone in all her young life.

And then he was there.

"Diana?'

She didn't look at him at first.

"How's Steve?'

"Angry."

He silently hovered for a moment and then landed next to her. It was as if all that had been building up inside her suddenly came out and she found herself talking to him.

"When I first came here from Paradise Island, I thought relationships between a man and a woman was simple. If they liked one another they were together. I couldn't have been more wrong."

"Relationships are complicated. For us, even more so,' he replied. As he said it the last few weeks came rushing back. For some reason he felt she was a kindred spirit in that moment and understood the loneliness better than anyone else would.

"I have another identity,' he quietly said.

"The reporter?" She asked.

"My name is Clark Kent."

"Why do you have an identity like that?" She couldn't help asking.

"I grew up with it and kept it once Superman came into being. It was to protect the people I'm close to."

"And it's worked?"

"I…I don't know,' he admitted."I guess it's debatable whether I'm really close with anyone actually."

"We're not like Zeus, but we're not like them either,' she whispered, as she glanced down at the people below.

"We're not like anyone."

She turned and looked into his eyes. There was so much unsaid in her gaze he found he couldn't look away.

"Do you ever feel alone?" She said, barely above a whisper.

"Yes."

And then she was in his arms and he felt her lips against his.

* * *

Gotham

Alfred came out of the kitchen wiping his hands on a towel as the front doorbell continued to ring.

"Just a moment, don't wear it out,' he muttered to himself as he finally reached the door and opened it. A young woman was standing there.

"Yes, miss, can I help you?"

"Um, well, yes, Alfred, I need to see Bruce Wayne, now."

"Is he expecting you?"

"No, but he'll want to see me. Please this is very important."

"What name should I say, miss?"

"Helena … Helena Wayne."


	24. Chapter 24

One Step Beyond

Gotham

"… And so I need your help."

Helena sat across from Bruce. She had just given him the bare bones outline of who she was and how she got here. She told him about what happened to Karen as Michael had related it to her.

She was in trouble and Bruce was the first person she thought to turn to.

Stunned, there was really no other word for how Bruce was feeling. He liked to think of himself as someone that thought of every scenario, every possible situation, but this, this wasn't one he'd ever considered.

"You want to run that by me one more time,' he finally said.

Helena sighed in frustration but pressed ahead.

"Look, I know how it sounds, but you're just going to have to believe me on this. Time is of the essences."

Bruce could see she holding it together for his sake, but he couldn't help asking the questions again.

"You're from another Earth?"

"Yes."

"And on that world your father is …?"

"Bruce Wayne."

"And your mother is …?"

"Selina Kyle."

"Selina? Really?"

"Yeah."

"Are there more of you? I mean do you have sisters and brothers?"

"No."

Bruce's mind seemed to be going a million miles an hour. Another Earth where he was married, married to Selina and had a daughter. So many things about the young woman sitting in front of him seemed to fall into place.

"Wait. At the trade show, did you invite Selina?" He asked.

"Yeah, sort of,' Helena admitted. She knew he had a million questions, but time wasn't on their side. "So will you help me? Please?"

"Why should I believe you?" Bruce asked. He was by nature suspicious, but there was also a part of him that believed her story. In a surprising way he wanted to believe her story and that raised even more questions in his mind.

"I've told you what I know about you, what other way would I know all of it?"

"I can think of several," Bruce replied. "None as unique as yours, I admit."

"Please, I know this is all a bit overwhelming,' Helena offered. "But I need help and you're the first person I thought of. On either planet, you're still a hero, right? Please help me, Bruce."

"How do you know Karen isn't back on your world?" He asked. "Perhaps your parents and her cousin are already with her."

"They're dead, murdered,' Helena sadly replied. She held back the emotion that always accompanied thinking of her parents and pressed on. "Michael Holt doesn't believe that's where she vanished to. The residual signature isn't the same."

"Michael Holt is involved in this?"

"Yes, he was there when Karen got pulled into the boom tube."

"The boom tube."

Bruce had an ominous feeling at hearing that. His instincts were telling him this wasn't what it seemed, but as he looked at Helena he couldn't help looking for some of himself in her. He could certainly see Selina in her now, but would this be what his daughter really looked like? Caution seemed to be the prudent course, but now that the idea that this was his daughter, even if from another world had been planted, he couldn't remain detached. He had so many questions about the other him and the life he led, but they would have to wait.

"We should contact Superman,' Bruce finally said.

* * *

Washington

The kiss lingered longer than a first kiss usually does. When Diana finally pulled back a little, she saw the surprise in his face and it was mirrored in her own mind. She blushed and suddenly felt awkward. She had acted on impulse. She hadn't been planning on kiss him and suddenly she wondered if he thought it was a mistake.

"I didn't mean to, well, it just happened, but I'm sorry if you thought it was a …" She started to offer an apology, but he leaned forward and cut her words off with another kiss. She returned it, giving herself fully to the kiss.

The first kiss caught Clark off guard. He had only meant to check on her, knowing from their short conversation how the whole situation with Steve weighted on Diana. When she started talking about how different she felt, it was as if someone else were verbalizing his own thoughts. She went on to talk about relationships and he couldn't help thinking of his own situation. Had he even been in a relationship with Karen? What did it say about the current state of his life that whatever he and Karen had was the closest he'd felt to anyone?

When he looked into Diana's eyes he saw the same loneliness. The kiss just happened. When she pulled away, he saw she was just as surprised as he was. He saw her blush and he couldn't help wonder if she thought it was a mistake. When she started to apologize, he realized it was his reaction or lack of one that was the cause of her confusion. Again it seemed to mirror a situation he'd already been through. The word mistake wouldn't be said this time, he thought. Instead of words, he did the most direct thing he could do; he kissed her to reassure Diana that he didn't think it was a mistake.

His League communicator went off.

He didn't answer it right away, as kissing Diana seemed to occupy all his senses. It was her that finally stopped the kiss and glanced at the communicator.

"You should answer that,' she whispered. "It might be important."

She was right, of course, but Clark didn't want to answer it. Something had just happened between them and he knew they should talk about it. He tried to form a sentence in his head, but the communicator kept beeping. Diana put her hand on his and nodded.

"Answer it,' she said.

With a bit of frustration at not being able to find the words, Clark tapped the communicator.

"Yes?"

"Superman, I need to see you immediately on the Watchtower, it's urgent."

It was Batman's voice.

"I'm in the middle of something, Batman,' Clark replied.

"I don't care,' Batman replied. "It involves Karen Starr, so get up here. You can talk to Diana later."

"How did you know Diana was with me?"

"I'm Batman, not get up here."

The communicator went dead. Clark couldn't help smirking at the last comment, but then he felt Diana looking at him.

"I have to go,' he softly said.

"I understand,' she replied.

"Things – Things are complicated right now, but when I get back we should talk."

"That's all right, we don't have to,' she said. He noticed her eyes didn't look at him. Gently he reached over and lifted her chin so they were looking at each other.

"It wasn't a mistake, Diana,' Clark told her. "I'm not sure what it is between us, but I know it wasn't a mistake."

He leaned in and kissed her lightly.

"You're not alone. We'll talk when I get back, I promise."

"All right."

* * *

The Watchtower

Clark was not exactly in a good mood when he arrived on the station. If anything his mind was on a million different things. As he stepped into the conference room Huntress and Batman both turned to look at him. He was struck by how oddly similar they moved, but then dismissed it as he saw Victor and Michael Holt were also in the room.

"So what's so urgent?"

"You might want to brace yourself for this one,' Victor offered. Clark gave him a look and then turned to Batman.

"Well?"

"You've met Helena,' Batman said. Clark glanced at Huntress, who smiled weakly.

"Nice to see you again," Clark replied.

"Hi."

"It seems her and Karen Starr aren't quite who they seem."

"Who are they then?" Clark asked.

"They're Batman's daughter and Superman's cousin from alternative universe,' Bruce replied.

Clark just looked at him for a moment.

"Come again?"

"They are from an alternative universe,' Bruce repeated.

To say Clark was a bit flummoxed would be an understatement. Alternative universes sounded like something out of a science fiction novel, but it would explain a few things.

"Five years,' Clark muttered. "That's why your back stories was so vague before that."

"That was you? You did that work?" Victor asked.

Helena smiled, a little uncomfortable under all the attention.

"Yeah."

"That was nice work."

"Thanks, but that's not important now, Karen is."

"Where is Karen?" Clark asked.

"Gone."

"Gone? Gone where?"

"Not to the other Earth," Michael Holt said. "The frequency is wrong, but with Vic's help I think we can recreate the boom tube that she was pulled through."

"Boom tube?"

"She was pulled through one earlier today at CERN." Michael explained. "She saved me before that though. I feel responsible, so I'm going after her wherever she went to."

"I'm going too,' Helena said.

"As am I,' Clark added. He was very confused about many things, but finding Karen wasn't one of them. She might have ended it between them, but the one thing he was sure of was he couldn't just stand by if she was in trouble. There were answers he still wanted, but they would have to wait until she was safe.

"I guess since I'm the one who's going to be providing the transportation, I'm going too,' Victor said.

"Good luck, all of you,' Batman replied.

Everyone turned to look at him. Helena stepped closer and looked into his eyes.

"What does that mean?"

"I'm not going with you,' Bruce replied.

"What? Why? I need your help,' Helena protested.

"And I want to help you, but this world needs me right now. This Gotham needs me right now,' Bruce explained. "I'm sorry, I'll do whatever I can from here, but I can't leave right now."

"But…"

"I'm sorry."

Bruce looked Helena and then turned to Clark.

"Bring everyone home safe."

He walked out of the door after that. Helena went after him. Clark, Michael and Victor just looked at each other.

"So how long before we can go?" Clark asked.

"An hour or two to make the necessary adjustments,' Victor replied.

"All right, maybe that's enough time to get us a little more help,' Clark offered. "I'll be back, don't leave without me."

* * *

Gotham

Batman beamed down on top of an abandon building near the waterfront. Helena beamed in seconds later. He knew she would be following him. Before she could say a word, he cut her off.

"I know what you're thinking and I'm sympathetic to your situation, but I can't leave."

"But I need your help,' Helena replied. "That's why I came to you in the first place!"

"And I gave it to you, but my priority has to be this Gotham,' he stated.

"But …"

"Helena, I'm not your father,' Bruce flatly said to her. "I helped you get what you needed to find your friend and when you get back I'll help you in any way I can to get back to your universe, but I can't replace him. I'm sorry if that seems harsh, but if I'm anything like he was I hope you'll understand."

Helena was hurt by his response and lashed out at him.

"You just look like him, but now I see you're nothing like him." She said. "I guess the illusion finally got stripped away. Fine, don't help me, I'll do this one my own if I have to. Good-bye, Batman."

Bruce wanted to say so many things to her. Standing there he could see himself in her and he truly believed she was who she said she was. He wanted nothing more that to be the person she wanted him to be, but he knew he couldn't. He had too many responsibilities and commitments to this world. He had a son on this world that needed him probably more than ever. His city, Gotham had never seemed more dangerous and it was his responsibility to protect it. That had always been his core mission and traveling to other universes just wasn't part of the deal.

He wanted to say all these things to Helena, to explain if he had a daughter he would want her to be just like Helena. He wanted to welcome her into his family, into his city and into his life, yet as they stood there on the rooftop the words didn't come. Finally he just offered one sentence.

"Come back safe."

* * *

Atlantic Ocean

Clark hovered a thousand feet about the water, just waiting. As with everything involving Karen Starr he was confused. Now it wasn't just her, but Diana too. The kiss had been a shock, but he knew it meant more than either of them had said. He desperately wanted to talk to her about it, but knew that would have to wait. Even if he wanted to, Clark knew he was no good for Diana right now. Karen was still on his mind.

She was the first person he'd ever felt normal with. As confusion and frustrating as she was, he'd fallen for her. She ended it with a mysterious good-bye, but it didn't feel like it was over. Until he saw her again and knew she was safe, he couldn't move on to anyone. It wouldn't be fair to them. It seemed he couldn't let her go.

She arrived with incredible speed and stopped a thousand yards away from him.

"What do you want?' Her tone was hostile, just like the last time they spoke.

"Your help." He replied.

"Why?"

"Because I think I'm going to need it."

"What do you need my help for?" She asked, still a little suspicious of him.

"A young woman I'm close to is in danger,' he said. "She was taken from this world and I need to get her back."

"I'm sorry, but why should I?" She asked.

"Whether you believe we're cousins or not, Kara, you know I'm Kryptonian,' Clark stated. "She's Kryptonian too. That makes only three of us in the universe. If you won't go for me, do it for her and the home you both once shared. Please, Kara, I need your help."

She seemed to consider this for a few moments.

"You won't try and control me?" She hesitantly asked.

"No."

"All right, I'll help you this time, but that doesn't mean I believe were related."

"Thank you."

"So where is she?"

* * *

Elsewhere

Karen managed to rip the tentacles that had pulled her through the boom tube off her and as she turned she saw the plumes of fire and smoke. Parademons filled the sky and what could only be described as monsters surrounded her. A huge man stepped in front of them and gave her a cold, deadly smile.

"Welcome to Hell," he hissed. "A female Kryptonian, Lord Darkseid will be pleased. Let us show you your new home, Apokolips."

"Oh, shit,' Karen groaned.


	25. Chapter 25

Here – There

Gotham

Even as he watched Helena swing away, Bruce knew this was far from over. He remained stoic on the outside, but feelings and emotions were churning inside of him. He kept reminding himself that she wasn't his daughter, yet she represented the possibility of something he really hadn't imagined he could ever have. Watching her get further and further away he could see it so plain in her movements, almost like seeing an echo of himself. He'd been struggling with the whole concept of being a parent since he first learned of Damian, yet it seemed his counterpart on the other Earth had managed it. Then again maybe it wasn't her father at all, but …"

"Is what she said true?"

Selina.

Batman turned to see her slip down to the rooftop next to him. He knew she'd heard, but there wasn't anything he could do about that.

"Is it?" She repeated.

"I had some quick scans done without her knowing it on the station,' he said. "Yes, I think it is."

"So she's …" Selina started and then stumbled to say the words. "Yours and mine?"

"No." He said with a shake of his head.

"But you just said?"

He cut her off.

"She's from another world, another Earth,' he explained.

"Still her parents are Catwoman and Batman,' Selina pointed out.

"Different versions, different people,' he replied.

"How-How different?" She nervously asked.

"I don't know."

"Then she could be …"

"She's not our daughter, Selina, I'm sorry,' he said to her. He reached for her but she took a step back.

"You didn't help her."

It wasn't a question it was a statement.

"I did what I could."

"But not enough."

His head dipped for just a moment.

"No."

"Then maybe I should,' Selina said.

"She's not your daughter, Selina,' he replied.

"But she could be,' she stated. A small smile came to her lips at the thought. "That's-That's enough for right now."

They shared a look that was filled with so many of the unspoken things between them. The revelation about Helena brought up thoughts that had always been in the background, yet neither was ready to address.

* * *

London

Diana arrived back at her apartment and turned on the lights. She couldn't remember just how long it had been since she was last here, but it felt good to be alone right now. Things had just gotten more complicated and she needed time to think. It was a kiss, she told herself, just a kiss. She hardly knew him. Most times she was surprised when he used her name. They were both just lonely and it happened. No reason to make it out to be more than it was.

But it was a good kiss.

No, she told herself, you have other responsibilities to think about. Thinking about those sorts of things is how trouble starts. If she needed a reminder, she only had to think of Steve. People get hurt when they get too close. Best to just chalk it up as something that happened and move on. He seemed as surprised by it as you were, so it obviously wasn't something he'd considered, she thought.

He did say it wasn't a mistake, though.

No, don't go down that road, she told herself. You really know nothing about him. You've been teammates for five years and he just told you his real name tonight. It was just the situation and what you'd both been through that caused it. It was seeing Steve in the hospital and ending things once and for all after letting it linger for so long. You were vulnerable and upset, feeling lonely, Diana thought. Then he was there and the conversation just seemed to take a life of its own. You both just got caught up in the moment. Don't make more of it than it was, she counseled herself.

He was already gone to who knows where. She'd only heard part of the conversation with Batman, but it seemed to involve someone named Karen Starr. Diana had no idea who she was, but apparently she was important to Superman. I wonder what their connection is, Diana idly thought? Is she his girlfriend?

No, it didn't matter how they knew each other she chided herself. What happened, happened and it's over now. Best to just forget about it and move on. She had so many other things on her plate right now, with her recently discovered parentage, what had happened to her mother and sisters, the infighting amongst the Gods and their new attitude towards her, she certainly didn't need to add any more complications.

Although it really wouldn't hurt anything to find out whom this Karen Starr really was. It was just out of curiosity, Diana told herself.

* * *

The Watchtower

As Superman, Clark wasn't used to feeling off kilter. It was in many ways the easiest part of his life. Things were straightforward, you stop the bad guys and you protect the innocent. He always felt he knew the answers or at least what they should be when he was Superman. Yes, there were always shades of gray in every situation but fighting the good fight was always the objective.

Now it seemed other parts of his life were bleeding over into this one. He'd always been so careful to keep them separate, compartmentalizing his life into well-defined boxes. Yes, it had resulted in a rather lonely, isolated life so far, but it seemed necessary to keep others safe. It was one of the sacrifices he was willing to make. Unfortunately those barriers began to break down the moment he went looking for Karen Starr in New York.

He didn't even realize it at the time. He'd been excited about meeting another Kryptonian and that's as far as his thinking went. As a young man who'd just turned twenty-seven Clark liked to think he had some things figured out, at least a little bit. He now knew that women were not one of those things. It wasn't like he didn't have experience, he'd dated in high school and college but it seemed those relationships did little to prepare him for really understanding women.

Karen had basically turned his life upside down every time he was around her. What she wanted or didn't want was a mystery to him. One minute she wanted nothing to do with him and the next she was in his arms. She said it was over, but now she was God knows where and he was going after her. He couldn't seem to let her go, even now.

He wasn't sure where she was, so he thought it might be wise to get some back up. His first thought was of Wonder Woman, but now with the kiss that didn't seem like the best idea. While women really confused him, he was pretty sure asking one you just kissed to help you find one you slept with was a bad move. He went with his instincts on this one.

Then there was the kiss. He'd kissed Wonder Woman.

No, that wasn't right, he'd kissed Diana. Most people probably wouldn't see the difference, but he did. What if meant, he had no clue really. She seemed as surprised as he was. Part of him wondered if it had been a douche move kissing her right after she had her emotional moment with Steve Trevor, but Clark reminded himself that wasn't why he'd gone. He wanted to make sure she was all right, that's all. Things had sort of taken a different turn then he expected and then she kissed him. His kiss was partly to reassure her the first one wasn't a mistake. The other part of it was because he wanted to.

It was all so confusing. If that wasn't bad enough, he'd brought Kara into this. He just thought of her as someone that could help, but now that he had time to think about it he wondered if it was a mistake? They might be estranged, but she was his only flesh and blood. She was so young and new to all of this, he worried something would happen to her. Clark would never forgive himself if that happened. The problem was she didn't trust him that much to begin with, so now that she'd agreed to help it probably wouldn't go well if he tried to talk her out of it.

Things were so much simpler just a short time ago. Clark did what he did and lived his solitary life. Now that was all changed. He had more questions than answers. Three young women had thrown his life into chaos and for the life of him he wasn't sure what to do about it. For once being Superman was little help. Trying to figure out what each woman was thinking was a super power he didn't possess. If he ever wanted to feel closer to humanity, this was a situation millions of men shared, heroes and civilians alike.

Clark decided to just focus on what he could do and that was finding Karen and bringing her back safe.

* * *

Gotham

Bruce sat in the cave trying to concentrate on the recent developments in Gotham. The mutation bomb that Helena and Damian had stopped was out of the ordinary for the city. Yes, it certainly had its share of illegal arms, drugs and explosives, but this was something else. It was a dangerous outlier, which might represent a new threat to everyone in the city.

The problem was he couldn't just concentrate on it. Other thoughts continued to intrude. He believed he had fully processed Helena's revelation, yet it nagged at him. It was like a brief glimpse at a life he'd only imagined. He was thirty now and if anything those opportunities seemed to be fewer and fewer for a normal life. A wife and family, the things his parents had didn't seem in the cards for him, yet Helena's very presence said otherwise. What had that other Batman discovered that he hadn't? What made him take the risk?

"She's not your daughter."

Damian.

Bruce should have known he would find out. He was too good at computers sometimes for his own good. Bruce turned to see his son standing at the bottom of the steps, wearing his Robin uniform. He knew Damian well enough to know his moods and he was definitely not happy. This wasn't a teaching Batman moment, but a father and son moment. Bruce slowly took off the cowl and gestured for his son to come closer.

"I know she's not, Damian."

"But you like her," Damian fired back. "You like the idea of her and who her mother is."

"It's all too new to be sure what to think,' Bruce admitted.

"But you helped her."

"Yes, I did."

'Why?"

"Two reasons, really,' Bruce explained. "One, is who she might be and two is you, Damian."

"What?' Why me? I've got nothing to do with it."

"No, but I keep thinking if the situation were reversed, I would want that other Batman to help you."

Damian took a step closer to his father.

"You're my son, Damian, nothing is ever going to change that,' Bruce said.

"What about her?"

"She's lost everything,' Bruce explained. "Her parents, her world, her best friend, everything is gone. What sort of example would I be if I didn't try and help her?"

"But if she's Batman's daughter, that means you and mother never got together on that other world,' Damian asked, moving a little closer. "You're not together on this world either and you like that tramp, Catwoman."

"Damian, hey, look at me,' Bruce gently said. "What happens between your mother and me doesn't change things between you and I. I'm your father and you're my son. That's always going to be true."

Damian had moved closer, but still stayed out of his father's reach.

"How do you know you won't be with mother some day?' Damian asked.

"I don't." Bruce honestly said. "But even if we aren't, that doesn't change things between you and me."

Damian had moved a little closer and he absently glanced at the screen in front of Bruce.

"What are you looking at?" He asked.

Bruce glanced at the screen for a moment.

"That bomb you stopped has been troubling me,' he explained. "It was too well organized to be just random. Someone or some group is behind it and I was looking for any connections."

"I could help," Damian offered.

"I'd appreciate it."

Damian moved over to the screen and started tapping the keys. Bruce allowed himself a rare smile as he reached over and put his hand on his son's shoulder. He wondered if maybe this was what that other Batman realized.


	26. Chapter 26

Steady as she goes

The night rain pounded down, yet she remained floating just outside his patio doors. She was soaked to the skin and a shiver went down her body. In the distance Karen could feel the heat rising, flooding over everything and moving towards her. She knew he was just on the other side of those doors waiting for her. It was her decision whether to open the doors. Part of her was afraid if she did she would never be able to close them again. She'd walked away from him three times and she didn't have the strength to do it once more. She should just leave it alone, but there was an empty place inside of her that hungered for him.

The heat was getting closer and the rain began to turn into steam as it touched her skin. Karen wasn't sure which was more intense, the heat moving towards her or the heat she was feeling inside. She only needed to move one-way or the other and the decision was made. It was a battle between what she wanted and what she felt she had to do.

She could feel the heat in waves getting ever closer.

Night turned into day.

She couldn't take her eyes off those patio doors.

The heat continued to grow more intense.

One move that was all it took.

One decision.

A flare of blinding light caused her to closer her eyes. When she opened them again she was awake. An unfamiliar landscape greeted her and then suddenly the last few harrowing hours came rushing back.

She was on Apokolips and they were hunting for her.

Karen had been pulled through the boom tube and found herself surrounded by parademons and Apokolips soldiers. Her first, most basic instinct was to run, but then another, stronger emotion kicked in, anger. These were the ones responsible for the devastation of her world, for the deaths of nearly everyone she held dear. Five years may have passed, but seeing them touched a raw nerve that hadn't healed over. Five years of thoughts of vengeance for all that they had done suddenly burst from her.

As the head soldier laughed and his troops moved closer, Karen's eyes began to glow with fury. With a scream that came from deep inside of her, she unleashed the strongest, widest burst of heat vision against them. The commander seemed stunned until he felt his flesh begin to burn and then the nightmarish sky filled with his screams.

Others attacked bringing the fight to her. That was a mistake, as it just made it easier for her to touch them. Moving at unimaginable speeds Karen seemed everywhere at once. Parademons were ripped in half and tossed aside like leaves falling from a tree in autumn.

More came at her, this time with armaments, but it hardly slowed her down. Five years of sadness, sorrow, remorse and anger spilled out of her and she destroyed everything in her path. Karen was no longer the teenager her cousin tried to protect, but an adult Kryptonian woman at the peak of her powers. Rage poured through her and her only thought was to make them pay for what they had done.

She rose off the ground and became a deadly creature of the air. The winged parademons attacked but they were hopelessly overmatched like ducks thrashing about on a pond as a hawk dove towards them. Karen felt no need for restrain, no second thoughts about unleashing every weapon in her arsenal against these monsters. If she could, she would have torn the very planet down around her to avenge those that had been lost.

As powerful as she was, though, she was just one against many. The call had gone up the chain of command and more and more soldiers and parademons arrived by the second. The fallen didn't matter for everyone one that dropped two more took its place. Apokolips placed no value on life, only victory. If it took a tidal wave of their forces to achieve this, then that is what they did. There was always more fodder for the cannons. In the end, Karen had no choice except to run, to escape and try to think of a way out of this nightmare.

* * *

Gotham

Helena fought back tears as she hastily packed her things to transport up to the Watchtower. She checked and rechecked all her weapons just as she had done a thousand times before. It was something her father had so ingrained in her it was second nature. At the thought of her dad, the tears almost came, but she willed herself not to cry.

Seeing these people, this world's Batman, Catwoman, Superman and all the rest had lured her into believing they were just like the ones she knew back home. Being here for the last five years had been such a jolt to her system. It was as if she had woken up one day and everyone from the post-apocalyptic world around her had been raised from the dead. Her mother and father were alive and well in this universe and as much as she tried to deny it, part of her wanted them to be just like they were back home. She desperately needed them to be, as she missed her parents so much.

But this world's Batman had painfully reminded her he wasn't the same man. He wasn't her father. As much as she might want it, he'd made it brutally clear they weren't the same. She had never felt so alone as she did at this moment. At least when she hadn't known him there was always that hope, the idea they were similar. It made her loss just a bit easier to take. Now the last illusion had been stripped away. Her parents were dead and she would never see them again.

The slight sound of the window opening caused Helena to grab her crossbow and spin around. Crouched on the windowsill was Catwoman.

"You really should lock these things,' Catwoman said. "You never know who might drop by."

"I did lock it,' Helena replied.

'Yeah,' Selina said with a shrug. 'Cheap lock though, you'd think a classy place like this would have better."

She slowly shifted and sat on the windowsill, looking at Helena and the crossbow.

"So are you going to lower that or shoot me?"

"I haven't decided,' Helena replied. "What are you doing here?"

Selina let her eyes moved over Helena's features, searching for hints of whom her parents were. They were there to plainly see now that she knew. The revelation that Helena was an alternative version of Selina's daughter was still sinking in, yet as she looked at the other young woman she couldn't help the feelings that came with it.

"You're going after your friend?" Selina asked.

"Yes."

"Want some help?"

It was Helena's turn to be surprised. The crossbow dipped for a moment, but then snapped back as she remembered her recent conversation with Batman. She was suspicious.

"Why? Why would you help me?" Helena asked.

Selina shrugged and then slipped off the windowsill. She glanced at the crossbow briefly.

"You might as well put that away, we both know you're not going to shoot me,' she said.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that,' Helena snapped.

Defensive, just like you know who, Selina absently thought. She had no real plan when she started this, only the desire to see Helena again. The emotions connected with the revelation were still swirling inside of her. Now she was here in the same room and she wasn't sure what to say. There were so many questions she had about that other Selina Kyle. What was she like? Were they anything similar? Yet even as she thought of them, Selina knew now wasn't the time for those questions. Helena's friend was in danger, so she would put them aside and play this straight.

"You asked why?" Selina said. "Well, you helped save Gotham from that bomber earlier, so I thought I'd repay the favor."

"That-That's not necessary,' Helena replied, a little unsettled by being this close to Selina.

"I know,' Selina acknowledged. "Look, would you put that thing away before you accidently shoot me, please?"

She said it so like Helena's mother would she immediately lowered the crossbow. Helena blushed as she realized this.

"Sorry." She offered.

"Forget about it." Selina waved it off. 'So do you want some help?"

"Yes,' Helena honestly said. "But-But I don't know where we're going, so it's probably not safe for you."

"I live in Gotham,' Selina remarked. "I'm pretty used to unsafe places."

"I appreciate the offer, but I don't think it's the best idea,' Helena said. Part of her wanted desperately for Selina to come with her, but another part wanted to keep her safe. She'd watched her mother die once; she didn't think she could do it again. "Superman's going with me, so it should be okay, but thanks."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Well, alright,' Selina said with a nod. She smiled at Helena and then took a step closer to her. Her hands fumbled at her sides for a moment. "You be safe and come back some time, maybe we could talk."

"I'd-I'd like that,' Helena replied with a smile.

Before she even realized it, Selina took Helena in her arms and gave her a hug. Helena was surprised at first but then returned it.

"Don't do anything stupid,' Selina whispered in her ear.

"I won't." Mom.

* * *

Apokolips

Karen was on the run. The dogs of war had her scent and were tracking her. Apokolips was a huge planet, but she stood out wherever she went. While technically they were all New Gods, there was a strict caste system on the planet. There was Darkseid, his elites and then everyone else. He totally controlled this world and everyone lived in fear of him. Karen could see in the Lowlies eyes that none of them would help her. They were all too afraid.

She needed to blend in until she could figure out a way off this world. The dress she wore at CERN was in ruins and made her stand out wherever she went. The dogs of war probably had her scent from the pieces of fabric that had been torn away. She needed to change clothes to get them off her for a while. The Lowlies wore rags and she couldn't bring herself to steal from them. Being as cautious as she could, she made her way towards some of the glittering towers that dotted the landscape. These were the homes of the Elite, the very people that carried out the orders to decimate her world. She had no problem taking through them. Finding someone of similar building took a short time and when the woman was alone, Karen stuck. The fight was over in seconds. Stripping the woman, Karen tossed her tattered dress over the side of the building.

The woman's outfit fit like a glove. She'd guessed right. The blue boots were just her size and while the white outfit didn't cover her legs, the material felt much stronger than anything she'd worn before. The one part that gave her pause was there was a cut out in the center of the chest that showed more than a bit of cleavage. While she'd never been exactly modest about her body, it would take some getting used to. Slipping on the belt she picked up the red clock and wrapped it around herself like a cape. A chain attached it to her collar. She glanced at her reflection in the polished steel wall and had to admit it looked good. At least she would throw them off her scent for a short while and hopefully could figure out some way of getting off this accursed planet.

* * *

The Watchtower

Helena beamed in and joined the others. There was something disconcerting about seeing Kara in the Supergirl costume, as back home Karen had once worn it. She could see how different they were from body types to temperament. It was just one more reminder that this wasn't her world.

Clark stood to the side taking it all in. He couldn't help noticing Kara remained floating away from the others as he usually was. She was suspicious of all of them, not just him. Again he wondered if he was doing the right thing asking her for help. She certainly was strong enough, but if anything happened to her he would never forgive himself.

He just needed to get Karen back, though. Everything else seemed to fall away when he thought of her. It made no sense, but he felt a connection to her unlike any he'd experienced before. He couldn't seem to be neutral when it came to her. As maddening as she could be, he knew it wasn't over between them. He wasn't sure what the future would hold, if anything, but as long as there was a chance he just couldn't seem to let her go.

"Everything's ready,' Victor finally said. "There is some bad news. The vibrations are familiar. She's on Apokolips."

"Oh, no,' Helena groaned.

"What is Apokolips?" Kara asked in Kryptonian.

Before Clark could respond, Victor answered. Surprising everyone, he spoke in Kryptonian to her.

"Apokolips is Darkseid's realm and it's a nightmare."

"How-How do you know my language?" Kara asked, suspicious of the unusual young man.

"One of the benefits of being half machine,' he replied.

"I speak a little of your language too,' Mr. Terrific offered.

Kara glanced at Clark but he could only shrug. She didn't know what to say, but it was actually wonderful to hear her native language again.

"Um, well, thank you,' she finally said to both of them.

Victor smiled at her and she returned it. Helena watched all of this and tried hard not to roll her eyes.

"So we know it's going to be dangerous, how soon can we go?" She finally asked.

"Whenever everybody's ready,' Victor replied.

There was a buzz from Clark's communicator.

"Just a second, please,' he said and took a step away from the others. "Hello?"

* * *

Gotham

Bruce had been trying to concentrate on his work, but it was hopeless. Finally he broke down and contacted Superman.

"Hello?"

"You're going with her, aren't you?" Bruce asked.

"Yes.

"Keep her safe, Clark,' Bruce replied. "Please."

"I will, I promise."

"Thank you, Batman out."

* * *

The Watchtower

The line went dead and Clark turned to the others.

"Can we go now?" Helena asked.

"Yeah, let's do this." Clark replied.

Helena, Kara, Michael Holt and Clark all gathered as Victor opened up a boom tube. Nodding to each other, Clark led the way into it.

* * *

Apokolips

They materialized in the heart of the capital. The noise was deafening, surrounding them almost like a living wave of sound. Kara instinctively covered her ears, as it overwhelmed her.

"God in heaven this place is a nightmare,' Michael gasped as he gazed around them.

"Soldiers,' Victor said.

"Coming this way,' Clark added. "But I'm picking up something about a Kryptonian female several streets over. They seemed to have found something."

Mr. Terrific pulled out his T-Spheres and floated off the ground. Clark put his arm around Helena, while Kara offered to carrying Victor. While he could probably have flown himself, he nodded in acceptance. They all started moving towards the location Clark had identified.

Parademons, dogs of war and soldiers all seemed to be gathered around something. When they saw the new comers they turned and attacked. The five went into action. Kara let Victor slip from her grasp as she headed straight into the flying parademons. As far as she was concerned they were monsters so she saw no reason to hold back. Clark landed, but kept Helena near him as he took the first wave of soldiers on. Mr. Terrific, Cyborg and Huntress moved to flank the group and take out some of the others.

Clark waded through them until he saw what they had discovered. The tattered remains of a dress were still in the commander's hand as he ordered his soldiers to attack. He could smell Karen's scent still on the dress and the anger welled up inside of Clark. The mechanical dogs of war attacked but he ripped them apart with his bare hands, moving towards the commander all the while. Beams of red shot out from both Kryptonians, the intense heat adding to the chaos.

When Clark finally reached the commander he snacked the dress from his hand and then backhanded him to the ground. Helena somehow managed to be next to Clark in that moment.

"That-That's Karen's,' she gasped.

Clark turned to Helena.

"She's alive, Helena, I know it,' he softly said to her. He then glanced off into the distance as the other three finished off the fight. "If she's not when we find her someone is going to pay dearly. I promise you that."


	27. Chapter 27

CHAOS

Apokolips

Perspective comes with distance. Generals' miles away from the battle can look over the entire scene and call in troop movements. They can strategize as if they were playing a version of the classic game RISK because they are removed from what's actually happening on the ground. Much like viewers in a fly over mood, they can take it all in, but always from a distance.

As you move closer, perspective narrows until there is no strategy, only _chaos_. Talk of pincer movements and rear guard actions go out the window and are replaced by much more basic terms like survival. Victory stops being a nebulous term in the overall scheme of things and simply means life. You aren't dying, that's the only victory you can comprehend.

There's a saying that there are no atheists in foxholes. This might be true. It could also be said the most used word in every battle is "Fuck!"

When your whole focus is not dying, you'll grab onto anything that might help.

Battles are ripe for metaphor. So few of us have truly experienced life threatening chaos in OUR daily existence the only way to give even the simplest idea of what it's like is with metaphors. Imagine you're sweating despite whatever the temperature is. Your heart is pounding so hard you can feel the blood pumping in your ears. You pray the contents of your stomach remains in your stomach and that your limbs keep responding to the frantic signals your brains is sending them. The sound overwhelms your hearing. Everything moves as if you're looking out a car window at two hundred miles an hour, except it is moving in every direction at once over a landscape you're not familiar with.

Add to this, people are trying to kill you.

While all this is happening, you have to be aware of those on your side and try not to accidentally hit them as you fire at the enemy.

You quickly realize all those brave inspiring speeches you've heard in the movies are bullshit. There is no time or need for them. When confronted with an army trying to kill you, the last thing you want to hear about is King and Country. Patriotism goes out the window too. General Patton is supposed to have said "Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." And that's what you feel like, some poor dumb bastard that's caught up in something he shouldn't be and the only way out of it is to fuck them before they fuck you.

* * *

Apokolips – The Throne Room

Darkseid sat looking over a chessboard deep in thought. He heard everything that was happening around him, yet he gave no acknowledgement to any of it. What grand schemes and plans were going through his mind, none dared to ask. He was the absolute, unquestioned ruler of the planet, yet his goals extended far behind it's borders. To him, everyone on Apokolips was expendable. They were either an asset or liability, nothing more. This view extended beyond the planet as well. In the grand scheme of things, Darkseid saw the rest of the universe as so many pawns on a chessboard. The game was to identify the most dangerous opponents that could possibly cause problems for his larger plans. In this pursuit, everyone expendable.

A small door opened off to the side of the room and Desaad, the sycophantic assistant to the dark lord made his way hesitantly up to his side. He fell to his knees in a sign of subjugation, waiting until his master recognized him. One moment stretched into another and then another and it seemed Darkseid would make him wait forever.

"Yes?" He finally said, his eyes never leaving the chessboard.

"Outsiders have arrived on the planet, my lord,' Desaad replied, keeping his head down.

"Have the army deal with them."

"Yes, of course, my lord."

"Was there something else?"

"Just that some of them appear to be Kryptonians, my lord,' Desaad replied.

"Kryptonians?"

"The one called Superman is among them."

What could almost pass for a smile crossed Darkseid's lips briefly. He stretched out his massive hand and moved a piece on the board, then sat back.

"Interesting,' he murmured. "Have my son handle it personally. He may use whatever force necessary."

"As you wish, my lord."

Desaad bowed several more times as he backed away from Darkseid and then was gone. Darkseid's gaze remained on the chessboard, as he reached across to the other side and picked up one of the white knights. He gazed at it for a moment and then moved it into position. Now he would wait and see how this game played out.

* * *

Apokolips

As more and more troops arrived, Clark tried to be everywhere at once. As one uncomfortable in a leadership position he felt the extra weight of it especially this time. They were here because of him, so that made them his responsibility. He had seen it in their eyes as they discussed strategy back on the Watchtower. The plan depended on him most for their survival. Helena and Michael Holt might be heroes, but they were just regular humans. Against what amounted to monsters in these sorts of numbers, all the gadgets in the world weren't going to be enough.

It seemed as if the army coming at them in waves cared nothing for the damage they did and were willing to destroy everything as long as they achieved their goal. The pressure continued to mount as sheer numbers were overwhelming the five of them. High yield weapons burst all around Clark sending surges of agony through his system unlike anything he'd felt before. It was as if every nerve ending in his body were on fire.

Glancing around him through gritted teeth, Clark saw things were rapidly slipping away from his side. Helena and Michael were dodging, vaulting and just plan scrambling for their lives. Heavy guns were being trained on Victor and the electrostatic charges were playing havoc with his systems. Parademons were getting through Kara's defenses and by sheer numbers were trying to bring her down to the ground. Clark caught a glimpse of whom he assumed was the commander of the forces and the hideous creature seemed to smile as he raised some sort of club and then unleashed a beam directly at Kara. Clark tried to shout a warning, but she was too occupied to pay attention.

* * *

Kalibak chuckled as the nerve beam from his Beta-Club ripped an agonizing scream from the young Kryptonian female. She tumbled to the ground under the weight of his parademon soldiers. Kalibak would show his father just how ruthless he could be in battle and perhaps gain his respect as a commander just as his uncle Steppenwolf had. These mortals would pay for even thinking they could invade the home of the New Gods. He would make sure they knew agony before their lives ended. He would make sure they knew his name and that he was their undoing.

Another scream caught his attention, but this was different then the others. This wasn't a scream of agony, but of pain and anger. The monstrous, fire-breathing tank directly in front of him suddenly shuddered and then was ripped apart in front of Kalibak's eyes. The young male Kryptonian, the one called Superman suddenly appeared. Kalibak ordered his heavy weapons to concentrate all their fire on him. He would fall just like the female had.

* * *

Restraint had always been a touch-tone word in Clark's life. He had grown up around people that were so fragile, that even the slightest mistake could be disastrous. Every minute of every day in his young life he had to be vigilant, measured and aware. Just a momentary loss of his temper and he'd almost destroyed the other members of the Justice League.

This was only supposed to be a rescue mission. Find Karen and bring her back to Earth. The brief glimpses of Apokolips he'd previously had told him this was a living hell, but now he knew it was even worse then he'd imagined. Life meant nothing here. These so called New Gods were monsters, whose only goal seemed to be the enslavement of everyone and the deliberate infliction of suffering on the widest possible scale.

As he helplessly watched Kara get dragged down to the ground, Clark heard an insane cackle and then felt claws viciously rack across his back. His hand flew on instinct, swatting the creature away. A scream erupted from deep inside of him, only this time it wasn't from pain but anger. These New Gods showed no mercy and now neither would he. The first time he'd been here, they had tortured him, but his primary goal was to get back to Earth to stop the invasion. They had never seen what a mature Kryptonian in command of all his powers was capable of, now they would. They wanted a war; he was going to give them one.

Fire engulfed Clark as the field weapons moved in. He could feel it singe his cape and roll over his skin. He advanced, digging his fingers into the largest tank and then ripping it in half as if it were made of tissue paper. Beams of intense red shot out from his eyes cutting a swath through the rest of the column. Moving at blinding speed he reached Kara and tossed the parademons away like rag dolls. She was stunned but he was thankful she was alive.

"Kara, help the others find Karen,' he shouted.

"Wh-What are you going to do?" She asked, as she tried to clear her head.

Clark glanced at the still advancing army.

"I'm going to give you time. Now go!"

He rose up off the ground ready to meet the army single handedly.

* * *

Kara moved towards the others, snatching Victor first and pulling him away from the monsters attacking him. Next came Helena and Michael and she put on a burst of speed to get some distance between them and the army.

"What are you doing?" Helena shouted. "Cla-Superman is back there!"

"It's his plan,' Kara replied. "He's going to buy us some time so we can find your friend."

"That's suicide!" Michael and Helena shouted.

Victor had been listening and watching the battle as they moved away.

"No, I don't think it is,' he offered.

"The sooner we find this friend of yours the sooner we can go back and get him!" Kara shouted.

"And get the hell out of this place,' Victor added.

* * *

The Throne Room

A large orb hovered in front of Darkseid, showing him the battle. He moved another piece on the chessboard as he watched the young Kryptonian take on his son and army. He had an almost detached interest as he let the events unfold before him. This was just a skirmish in a larger battle, Darkseid knew. Identifying all possible future threats was part of the master plan. The Kryptonian, this Superman would either fall to Darkseid's son and army today, thus not being worth considering further or he would be added to the enemies list. Before the grand finale all those on the list would be dealt with in time.

Darkseid would let this play out, his eye always on the ultimate price.

* * *

The Slums

Karen hugged the wall of the alley. She listened, but it seemed she had lost the army chasing her. Letting her hearing extend, she tried to find them among the din of noise that constantly filled the air here.

They had given up pursuing her. That was a strange development she thought. Listening intensely, she could only pick out bits and pieces of what they were saying. It seemed they were rushing towards another battle, one that every soldier in the army was taking part in. Then she heard two words that sent a chill down her spine, Kryptonian and male.

Clark!

He'd come after her and now he was in trouble.

All other thoughts left her mind. Karen stepped out from the alley and pulled the cloak she'd been wearing down from her face. Clark had come for her and she wasn't going to let anything happened to him. Standing boldly in the street, the red cloak fluttering behind her like a cape, the white body suit showing off her every curve, Karen knew there was no more running, from either this army or Clark. The later she didn't have the strength to do anymore.

All the feelings she'd been fighting for so long wouldn't be denied any longer. She was in love with him. In an almost selfish, greedy way she wanted him more than anything she'd ever wanted in her life. She'd lost everything, her world, her family, her friends, not once, but twice. In the moment though, none of that mattered, only he did. She would not lose him too. Emotions threatened to overwhelm her as she slowly began to rise off the ground. It was as if every cell in her body felt a burst of energy and now she had a target to release it. She saw nothing of her surroundings as her entire focus was on the sounds of battle in the distance. In the blink of an eye she was moving straight for it.

* * *

The streets to the ghetto were like a labyrinth, as Helena, Michael, Victor and Kara continued to fall back, fighting off pursuers from all sides. Perspective narrowed, as the very citizens of the slums turned against them.

* * *

Kara was best in the air, but needed to keep in contact with the others. This limited the devastating power she could bring to bear; yet she showed no restraint in taking out anything that threatened them. This was a madhouse, filled with demons and monsters. She had no idea this was what she was getting herself into when she agreed to help her cousin. It seemed stupid and ill advised to come here, yet when she remembered the look in his eyes when he asked her, she still couldn't find any part of her that would have said no.

She still had doubts about everything he'd told her or even if he was her cousin. Yet when she looked into his eyes, Kara knew he was being honest about needing her help. In that moment it didn't matter if he was her cousin or even if he were Kryptonian. He was simply another person in need of help. Every part of her knew she couldn't turn away or say no. So here she was, in the middle of a nightmare and yet she had no regrets.

* * *

Helena was running out of arrows and her utility belt was almost empty of gadgets. She didn't stop fighting. What fueled her was the memory of her parents, who had given their lives fighting creatures like these. They called themselves New Gods, but she didn't believe it. They were just the latest conquerors spreading misery. Yes, they were powerful, but they could die just like everyone else. They might want to cloak themselves in Godhood, but they weren't the first or the last conquerors to try that.

That was the edge she felt she had. She knew who and what she was. Being stronger didn't make you better or elevate you to higher beings. Growing up she'd watched her father and mother fight against people like this. They were just ordinary human beings, yet they fought because their cause was right and noble. They died for that cause, so how could she honor their memory and do any less? She would fight on and find her friend just like mom and dad would do.

* * *

Victor unleashed a sonic blast that brought down a swarm of parademons. He continued moving backwards with the others, staying in a tight group so they could assist each other. Perhaps it was the nature of his computerized mind, but several thoughts were swirling around in his head. His main focus was on fighting and find Karen Starr, but other thoughts continued to intrude.

In the quiet moments, Victor had begun to wonder if he really was human anymore. Was he just a machine pretending to be what he used to be? As strange as it seemed, here in this living hell he thought he found some answers. The odds weren't in their favor every calculation told him, yet he came anyway. A machine wouldn't do that. That he was fighting for not just his own survival, but for the others with him wasn't something a machine would do either. The whole situation was illogical, yet that just seemed to reinforce that he was still alive and human underneath all the hardware.

That he'd come out of friendship with Clark to help him save a woman Victor had never met spoke of his humanity. That he found himself interested in the young Supergirl spoke to an even more human emotion. Yes, a machine can work with others to achieve a larger goal, but it has no feelings about the situation. Victor couldn't seem to turn his feelings off, as hard as the machine side of him tried. It appeared the outside had changed dramatically, but his core, what was inside hadn't. He'd found his answer to those evil spirits Graves had unleashed on them.

* * *

A gust of wind swept up the narrow street and then two red beams fired out into the attacking soldiers. Victor, Helena, Michael and Kara turned to see Karen hovering above them.

"Helena? What the hell are you doing here? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Karen shouted.

"I was trying to rescue you!" Helena fired back as she punched another soldier.

"That was stupid! You know better than that!" Karen complained.

"Are you really going to bitch at me now? Now?" Helena gasped.

"Sorry. Where Clark?"

* * *

Apokolips – Ground Zero

He was like a force of nature, elemental in his power and speed. No one soldier, parademon, monster or military vehicle could stand in his way. It was as if these New Gods were witnessing the birth of another God, one focused on wrecking havoc over everything. Spinning, whirling, moving at blinding speeds, Clark held nothing back. His anger fueled his powers, letting them reach to their upper limits.

Yet they still kept coming.

He was at the center of an avalanche of bodies, seemingly limitless in their numbers. Kalibak had sensed the tide turning in the battle and panicked. His father did not tolerate defeat; he along with everyone on the planet understood this. They were fighting one man, one mortal; it shouldn't be going against them. If he had to sacrifice every last soldier, Kalibak was determined to win. The alternative was unthinkable.

Darkseid's Elite were called in, along with every available troop and machine. As he stood on a rooftop anxiously watching the battle unfold, Kalibak saw the tide slowly turning. Sheer numbers and the Elite were wearing the Kryptonian down. Blood poured from too many wounds to count, as the Furies attacked like a swarm of hornets repeatedly stinging him and then pulling away. Kalibak raised his Beta-club and fired, sending a nerve pulse at the Kryptonian. It killed the swarm of troops around him, but it also brought him to his knees. The moment for the final blow was at hand and Kalibak moved in for the kill. A cold, deadly smile spread across his hideous lips as he imagined watching the Kryptonian gasp his last breathes in agony.

Kalibak stood over the kneeling figure and raised his club for the final blow. He was expecting a scream to fill the air and he got one, only it was his own scream. Four beams of heat seared into his flesh from above. Some sort of boomerang knocked the Beta-Club from his hand. Intense waves of sound assaulted his eardrums driving him back away from the fallen Kryptonian.

* * *

Clark felt the pain all over his body. Every nerve was on fire. He tried to gather himself as he felt his enemy move in for the kill. Then it didn't come. He finally managed to look up and saw Karen, Kara, Helena, Victor and Michael coming to his rescue. Despite all the pain, he couldn't help smiling when his eyes locked with Karen's. It seemed it wasn't over between them, but first they had to get out of this place.

The initial shock of Kalibak's screams wore off immediately for the army. They went back on the attack, the Elite moving into to the leadership roles and directing the horde. Straining every agonizing muscle, Clark turned and brought his hands together with all the force he could. A shock wave threw the advancing soldiers back and created a brief space around the six.

"Victor! Boom us out of here!" Clark shouted.

A portal opened. Kara grabbed Michael, Helena and Victor and plunged them into it. Clark tried to rise and move towards the portal, but his body didn't seem to be responding. He felt two strong hands grab him and lift him off the ground.

"I'm not letting you go."

Karen.

They entered the portal in the next moment.

* * *

The Throne Room

Darkseid watched all of this. Slowly he reached for one of the knights on his side of the board and tipped it over. He didn't give it another glance. His whole focus was on the opposite side of the board, in particular the white knight. He sat contemplating what it would mean for the future.


	28. Chapter 28

The Ones

_That get away_

All of us are alone.

When you strip away all the things that supposedly divide or make us different you land on this simple fact. We're alone.

That's what makes us all alike.

Where you come from doesn't matter. Who your parents were doesn't matter. Your color, your creed, your religion or your status doesn't matter; we are all still fundamentally alone.

The other thing that makes us alike is each of us doesn't want to be alone.

A lot of money has been made since the dawn of time understanding and capitalizing on these two simple facts. The whole social media that surrounds us today is there simply to make us feel less alone. We are in contact with the world 24/7 now. Phone calls, e-mail, texts, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, , LinkedIn, Tumblr and a thousand more seek to provide the illusion of a connection. Yet nothing has been able matched simply looking into someone else's eyes and seeing them smile at your very presence.

Think of the best times of your life and they always involve being with someone you love or care for. The pleasure of sitting in the same room talking can never be equaled over the phone or the computer.

As obvious as it seems, there's the meaning of life, not being alone.

* * *

The Watchtower

It was chaos when they arrived back from Apokolips. Questions flew from every direction as they all tried to understand what they had just been through. More than anything Karen wanted to talk to Clark, but Helena, Michael and Victor were already talking to her about the possibilities of getting home.

Home the place where friends and family used to be.

As she let them surround her and tried to follow the excited discussion, she looked over at him. He'd come for her, across unimaginable distance to bring her back. No words could speak louder about his feelings for her. As she half listened to the others, Karen knew she wasn't going anywhere until she talked with him.

* * *

Clark wanted to talk to Karen alone, but the others surrounded her. He'd waited this long and didn't want to wait any longer, but he would. There was someone else he wanted to talk to. If this ordeal had shown him anything it was he needed people in his life. He needed friends and most especially family.

Kara.

She floated off the side in the shadows looking at the others. They had all been comrades, fighting together as a team one moment and now it was back to the way it was before. Since waking up on this planet, confused and frightened by seemingly everything, Kara hadn't had a moment to stop and think. Part of that was probably by unconscious design, as she was afraid if she let herself go there she wouldn't be able to hold it together anymore. Her parents, her world, everyone she'd ever known were gone. The future she's been working so hard for seemed to have vanished in the blink of an eye. She was lost in this new, strange world. As she looked at the others who had so recently fought at her side talk amongst themselves, she felt the loneliness creeping in.

"Kara."

She turned and looked at him, almost surprised to hear her own name. Her cousin, Kal-El was looking at her. Deep down she knew that was whom he was, her baby cousin all grown up, but to admit it meant admitting everything else.

"Can we talk?" He asked.

He spoke in Kryptonian and while she still had her doubts, it felt so good to hear her own language.

"Okay."

He ushered her into another room away from the main one. As the door closed she felt nervous. She didn't want to fight him, but that's the way things usually worked out between them. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if he were thinking the same thing.

"Thank you." He began as simple as that.

"You-Your welcome,' she replied.

The distance between them remained, but Clark willed himself to close the gap if not physically than emotionally.

"I know you still have your doubts about me,' he began. "About who I say I am and if I'm really your cousin. If I were in your place I'd probably have the same ones. I'm willing to wait as long as it takes for you to be sure. Run any tests you want if that helps."

Kara wasn't sure what to say to this. Part of her wanted to admit he was her cousin, but part was still afraid. He waited a moment to see if she'd respond and when she didn't he continued.

"When the adopted family that raised me on this world died, I thought I was alone. I have holograms and recordings from Krypton that's it. I tried making my peace with the fact that I was the last of my kind, the last Kryptonian and then you happened. You weren't even just another Kryptonian you were family. A family I don't have memories of. I suddenly realized I wasn't alone anymore. That's why I came to you like I did. I wasn't thinking of anything but the fact I wasn't alone. I've made the mistake again since then, but I can't deny the feelings."

Kara listened, knowing this was difficult for him.

"I wanted to say thank you for helping, but more importantly I wanted to say you're not alone either, Kara. I'll always be here for you, no matter what."

"Thank you,' she managed to say, even as she fought back the tears.

"I do know what it's like,' he offered. "For five years I've been keeping everyone at a distance. I did my part, but I never let anyone get close. Maybe I was afraid of what would happen to them if they did or what would happen to me if I lost them, but things have changed and I can't live like that. No, that's wrong, I won't live like that anymore. Being detached from the world around me is no way to live."

"I don't know, Kal,' Kara whispered.

"Take your time, I won't rush you,' he replied. "Just know that I need you as much as I think you need me. Those holograms and recordings can only tell me so much. My former babysitter and big cousin can tell me so much more. You Kara, you can tell me about my parents, our family and our world. I need you, cousin."

Kara smiled for the first time in a long while. When he raised his hand towards her, she found herself taking it.

"You were always a needy baby as I recall,' she said with a smirk.

* * *

Gotham

Helena had transported down to her hotel room. She needed to pack up and catch a flight to Paris to meet up with Karen. Michael and Victor seemed to think if they worked together they could solve the problem of getting them back home. Helena wasn't sure how she felt about that. Five years had past since they had been whisked away and so many things had changed. Unlike Karen, Helena had quietly made her peace with the idea that they were marooned on this world and would most likely never get back. Perhaps it was just that she was the more practical of the two of them, but she had always been taught to deal with the situation as it is instead of as you want it to be.

Now those assumptions had been thrown out the window. A real possibility had now presented itself of a way home. She was faced with dealing with what she'd lost all over again. Her parents were dead. They wouldn't be there to greet her if she got back. Helena had to wonder just how much of her world even remained after five years? Was being a legacy enough?

The other part of it was what if she didn't go back? What did she really have in this world other than reminders of what she'd lost in the other? This Batman and Catwoman weren't her parents they just looked like them. Karen was really the only link and friend she had on either world left and once she went back where would that leave Helena? The money, the company, those were all Karen's and Helena had little interested in them really. She had been born it seemed to do one thing and now she had to ask herself was that enough? Are the hopes and dreams of her parents the only thing that matter anymore?

It seemed the final hurdle to her growing up was right in front of her. Following in footsteps can only take you so far and then you have to make some footprints of your own. Helena moved over and opened the window. She felt the warm breeze drift in as she looked at the night sky and the city spread out before her. The urge to be out there came. Perhaps it was a family trait to be able to think better on the move, but she slipped into her uniform and moved out into the night.

She was home. It wasn't the city or even the world that mattered, just that she was moving through the night sky. This was her first love, the simple freedom the night always brought. She was a creature of the night just like her parents had been. That would never change.

An hour drifted into another, as Helena moved all over the city. It seemed alive belong her and she just wanted to soak it in. Finally she stopped on the upper ledge of one of the downtown buildings to watch the crowd letting out of the movie theater. She could see couples with their children laughing and talking about what they had just seen. The excitement was clear in their distant voices. She watched one young man imitate one of the actions scenes from the movie he'd just watched as his parents stood bemused at his antics. It was another night like so many others, yet Helena had to wonder what fateful choice would be made. As she pondered her problems, she just remained perched on the ledge.

"So you're back."

The voice was young and had an irritated quality to it. Helena knew who it was without looking. Damian.

"Yeah, I guess for awhile,' she replied.

"I know who you are,' he said. "I know all about you now."

She turned and smiled at him.

"I know all about you too, little boy."

"You can knock that little boy stuff off right now." Damian demanded. "You just think you know me, you don't, trust me."

"Whatever,' Helena replied, looking back at the movie goers.

"You're not my sister and I'm not going pretend you are,' he stated.

"It's a good thing I'm not, or I wouldn't have taken it so easy on you the last time,' Helena countered.

"Oh, that's funny,' Damian laughed with a mocking tone. "I was taking it easy on you, girl. I would have wiped the floor with you if I was really trying."

"In your dreams!"

"You want to go again? Just say the word!" He hissed at her. Helena turned to face him again.

"Your dad should have taught you better manners, Damian,' Helena replied. "Mine would have."

"Right! Cause he obviously made such good decisions on your world,' Damian scoffed. "I mean just look who me married."

"Oh, you little prick, you are so going to pay for that!"

Helena launched herself at him. Damian flipped her over his head and onto the rooftop. He followed and the fight was on.

* * *

Metropolis

It was well after midnight. The streets were quiet as the rain continued to pour. Clark always loved walking at times like this. The rain had washed away the smells that usually inhibited the city and everything felt new again. Few people ventured out on nights like this so in the middle of this bustling municipality he could be alone with his thoughts.

He felt like he'd made the first step with Kara. It would take time, but at least now they were talking. Since the Kents had died, Clark thought he'd never experience what it felt like to be in a family again. Now that possibility was out there. Through her he might even be able to connect with his birth parents and the world he came from. Mostly though, it was just the feeling of not being alone anymore.

He'd been trying to convince himself for the last five years that it was for the best that he not get too close to anyone. He'd kept everyone at arm's length to either protect him or her or himself. He now realized what a fool's errant that really was. No matter where he was originally from or what amazing abilities he might have he had the same universal desires and wants as everyone else. A life, any life is better when it's shared with others.

Perhaps he knew this all along, but didn't want to admit it. Maybe it was why he'd remained in the Justice League these last five years, even though he wasn't particularly close to any of the other members. Maybe that's why he'd immediately gone to Kara when her ship crash-landed. Maybe that's why he'd gone to New York to see Karen that first night. It seemed his unconscious mind was trying to tell him something all this time. Now he was finally listening.

Clark had so many questions he needed to find the answers to. Most of them surrounded Karen, but there was another kiss he knew he had to address. What it meant or might mean he wasn't sure. In different circumstances it might have been the start of something, but right now it wasn't fair to anyone, especially her. They really didn't know each other that well yet, but being honest seemed like a good place to start. The kiss hadn't been a mistake. What it had been, he wasn't sure, but he knew it wasn't a mistake. It hadn't been planned, but seemed to come naturally. In the moment it was right, but now there were other things to consider.

You don't start something when you're not finished with something else. As confusing and irrational as it was, whatever it was between Clark and Karen didn't feel like it was over. He didn't know where they stood, if they stood anywhere at all, but he couldn't move on until he was sure it was really finished. He wasn't sure he wanted it to be finished, no matter what she might say.

As he cut across the empty park, Clark headed for the main fountain. As he cleared the trees, he saw her.

Karen.

She was just floating in the rain, as if waiting for him. He stopped in his tracks and just looked at her. She had changed and even in the pouring rain she looked lovely. They held each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity and then she finally spoke to him.

"Hi."

"Hi."

Instead of her floating down to the ground, Clark floated up to her. Twenty feet off the ground in the pouring rain they faced each other with only a foot or two between them. They were both nervous.

"I, ah, well, um, wanted to thank you, you know, for, well, coming after me." She started with.

"I couldn't just let you go like that,' he replied.

She nodded.

"So now you know about me."

"I think so, but I'd like to hear it from you,' he said.

"It will still be the same,' she replied. "I'm not from this world or universe. We, Helena and I, we sort of got caught, transported or something and we're marooned here."

"For five years."

"Yes."

"Why did you hide?"

"We were seventeen in a strange place, Clark. We didn't know who to trust or not to,' she said. "This world looked so much like ours, yet everywhere we turned it was different."

"Like me."

"Yes, like you."

"So I remind you of him?" Clark asked. "Is that why you kept pushing me away?"

"No." Karen said with a shake of her head.

"Then, please, why?"

"I lost everything, twice, Clark. I-I-I didn't want to lose anything else,' she whispered. "My whole focus up until recently was just getting back to our world."

"And now?"

"I don't really know,' she admitted.

He floated a little closer.

"What do you want to do?" He whispered.

"I don't know that either.' She said with a sigh. "It was so simple just a few months ago. All I wanted was to find a way home and then …"

"And then?"

"I met you,' Karen murmured. "I didn't want to get attached to anyone here, cause I knew one day I'd be going back. I stayed away from everything that seemed familiar. I thought I was safe and then you appeared."

"I just had to,' he began to explain, but she cut him off with a kiss.

"I'm glad you did,' she whispered. "It made me realize all this time I've been living for other people. Those people are gone. I never stopped and asked myself what I wanted."

"And now?"

"I have a choice to make," Karen said. "I want to stay here, maybe even with you, but now there is a real possibility of going home. Michael and Victor seemed to think it's doable. It's not just about me, if it ever was. I owe those people that gave their lives something. My cousin and Helena's parents fought to give her and me a chance. I can't just turn my back on that."

"I want you to stay, Karen, but I would never ask you turn your back on your world, though,' Clark replied. "Maybe I could come with you?"

"No,' she said with a shake of her head. "This world needs you. I can't ask you to give it up."

"So where does that leave us?"

"I want to stay, Clark, but I have to go back,' Karen softly said. He could see there were tears in her eyes, even in the rain. "I couldn't live with myself or be with anyone until I go back and try and make things right. I'm going to be miserable either way, but I can't just give up."

"I know,' he sadly said. "That's what makes you a hero on any world."

Karen gave a small sad smile.

"I don't feel much like a hero,' she admitted.

Clark pulled her close and kissed her.

"You are, trust me."

She returned his kiss and looked into his eyes.

"I can't offer forever, Clark but if you want we have until I have to leave?"

"I want,' he replied. "I'll take whatever time we can have."

They were done talking. The rain continued to pour down, but they paid it no attention. Time was finite for them and they didn't want to waste a moment.

* * *

Gotham

Helena's skirmish with Damian ended prematurely. The Bat-signal was turned on. For a moment, both started to head towards it, but Helena remembered. This wasn't her world and the signal wasn't meant for her Batman and Robin. It wasn't meant for her. She just stood and watched as Damian went into action.

She had to admit the kid was good, damn good. Not as good as her and she was winning, but he had gotten in some nice shots. She would be feeling them tomorrow. The little prick probably cheated she thought to herself. Glancing at the signal one more time, Helena was reminded of so many things. So many emotions were tied up in it for her.

Now there was a real chance they could go home. Since hearing the news she'd been wondering what there really was for her to go home to? Her parents were dead and most of the city she'd grown up in was destroyed. The hand picked board of directors her father had put in place was probably running what was left of Wayne Enterprises. Besides she had never been interested in running the family business, well, as least the official family business.

She'd always wanted to be the Huntress, well, Robin at first, but once she got here she knew that was what she wanted. In the grand scheme of things did it really matter where she fought crime and evil? She wasn't a superpowered hero like Karen, she was just human. She would never decide the fate of either world. Helena could only do her small part in the larger struggle. The heavy lifting would have to be done by others.

She thought she'd made her peace with never getting back, but now that option had been reopened. The memories of her parents sacrifice came rushing back to her. If she turned away from the chance to continue the fight in their name would she be turning her back on them too? Would they understand why she didn't go back, if that's what she decided?

And what if she didn't go back, what was there really here for her? Karen was her only real friend on this world. Helena had been painfully reminded that this world's Batman wasn't her Batman. So she was alone no matter what she decided.

"You should have kicked that little punk's ass harder."

Helena spun around to see Selina sliding down a rope towards her. She landed, lifted her goggles and smiled.

"He could use a kick in the ass, let me tell you,' Selina added.

"You-You saw that?"

"Yeah,' Selina nodded. "I think you were winning before it was cut short. He was probably cheating too, but I can't prove it."

Helena smiled at this.

"I would have won, but I figured I'd better let him go,' Helena offered. "You know the signal and all."

"Can't interfere with the signal or the boss gets all pissy,' Selina joked. She looked at Helena for a moment and her tone changed. "So did you save your friend?"

"Yeah.' Helena nodded. "I had help, Superman and some others."

"Let me guess, Batman didn't go?"

"No." Helena replied. "Not his fight and he couldn't leave Gotham."

"That sounds like him,' Selina sourly said. "He's such a douchebag sometimes. So you're okay?"

"Yeah."

"Are you staying?" Selina asked.

"I don't think so,' Helena replied.

"Going back?"

"Probably."

"I guess you have to, don't you?"

"I guess,' Helena offered.

Selina took a step closer. She wanted to reach out to Helena, but wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do or not. Something had been on her mind since she'd first heard the news about Helena and she had to ask.

"Back on your world, your mother,' Selina hesitantly began. "What-What kind of mother was she?"

Helena smiled as she remembered her mother. It was an easy question.

"The best."

The two shared a smile at the answer.

* * *

Metropolis – Two weeks later

Clark walked into his apartment with the take out food just in time to see Karen hang up her phone. From her expression he knew it was the call they'd both been waiting for and dreading. Michael and Victor had found the way home.

Karen was only wearing a slip as she looked up from the phone and saw Clark standing in the doorway.

"It was Helena,' she softly said. "They figured it out."

Clark closed the door and set the food down before walking over to Karen.

"Okay."

She looked at him and there were tears in her eyes.

"I have to go, Clark."

"I know,' he replied, pulling her into his embrace. "When?"

"Tomorrow."

The word hit him hard, but he wanted to be strong for her. He knew how difficult this decision was and he didn't want to make it any more difficult.

"All right."

Karen hugged him as if she never wanted to let him go.

"I've been back and forth with this, Clark," she whispered. "I was supposed to be their secret weapon. With all of them gone I'm the most powerful one on Earth's side. I owe it not just to them, but my Earth. I can't walk away from that."

"I know, Karen, I know."

She kissed him with all the passion she felt.

"Please, don't come with me tomorrow, Clark,' she begged. "It's going to be hard enough without seeing you there."

"If that's what you want,' he replied, even thought every part of him wanted to be there with her.

"We still have tonight,' she quietly said. He looked into her eyes and saw the doubts and fears in them.

"Then tonight will have to be enough,' he replied.

* * *

Gotham

Helena had just gotten off the phone with Karen. She could hear the sadness in her friend's voice. They both had mixed feelings about tomorrow but had decided they would go back. Things would never be right if they didn't. Some obligations you can never forget.

Helena glanced at her packed suitcases and then around her hotel room. Her last night on this world she didn't want to spend cooped up in this room. Changing quickly, she was out the window and into the night. Lost in thought she simply moved over the city taking in the night air. It was so similar, yet she knew it wasn't the same.

It was hours later when she landed back on her hotel's roof. It was well passed midnight and even Gotham was silent for the most part. She moved over to the ledge and looked out at the city one last time.

"You're leaving tomorrow."

She knew that voice anywhere. As she turned around he emerged from the shadows. Batman.

"Yes."

Their last meeting was on both of their minds. It had not ended well. He seemed hesitant. Since the moment he found out who she was, he'd been wrestling with what it meant. He was a man that prided himself on always thinking of every possible scenario, yet this one had never crossed his mind. He was always so busy thinking about what others might be doing, that his own personal life had not been part of his equation.

Apparently the Batman on the other world had. Bruce couldn't know what had gone through his counterpart's mind. What choices he'd made on that world that Bruce hadn't on this one. When he'd first heard that his counterpart had married Catwoman it seemed so outlandish it was hard to believe. He told himself it would never be a possibility in this world, yet the longer the idea rolled around in his mind the less it seemed so absurd. Looking at Helena he could see both of her parents in her.

"The Wayne private jet will be standing by for you to take you tomorrow,' he finally said.

"That isn't necessary,' she curtly replied.

"I know but I want to do this."

"Why?"

This was hard for Bruce, emotions always were.

"Because if the roles were reversed I would hope he would do the same thing,' Bruce offered.

"He would have and more,' Helena replied. The implication in her words was plain to him.

"I would hope he'd understand why I couldn't go with you to rescue your friend."

"He would have, but mother would have talked him into going anyway,' Helena admitted.

"I don't doubt that," Bruce replied with a small smile.

Helena smiled too, but didn't say anything else. Bruce didn't want it to end like this. As hard as it was, he felt he needed to say more.

"Be safe when you go back, don't take any unnecessary risks."

"I never do,' she replied.

"You stole from me, I'd say that was a pretty big risk,' he countered.

"That was necessary."

"Next time, just ask,' he offered. "By the way, the anagrams were a clever touch, but another unnecessary risk. I can just imagine where that idea came from."

"Just a little flair to see if you were paying attention,' Helena admitted.

Bruce smiled again and took a step closer.

"I'm serious, Helena, please be careful."

"I will."

"If you should ever return there will be a place for you here,' Bruce quietly said. "No matter how long you're gone."

"Thank you."

"I've had a new set of armor put on the plane along with some weapons that might come in handy over there,' He continued. "I hope they help you in your fight."

"Thank you again," Helena said, touched by this gesture.

Bruce took a step closer, so they were looking into each other's eyes.

"I know I'm not your father, Helena, but I think I can say with some certainty on his behalf, he's proud of you. I'm sure they both are."

Helena felt the tears welling up in her eyes. She knew this man wasn't her father, but hearing him say that meant the world to her.


	29. Chapter 29

Where do we go from here?

_(In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Act, making a 2 million-acre expanse teeming with geysers, canyons and herds of bison the first national park in the world. The law would protect a swath of land from Wyoming to parts of Montana and Idaho preserving the territory's natural wonders for the benefit of future generations. The idea caught on quickly. Australia, Canada and New Zealand quickly followed suit, creating their own national parks—by definition places of great natural beauty, not altered by man, open to the public and protected by governmental authorities.)_

In a world of blacktop and concrete, strip malls and telephone poles, it's easy to forget just how beautiful this world is. It's not exclusive to any one country or confined by arbitrary borders on a map. Natural wonders surround us in all their breathtaking beauty.

Clark slowly descended into Yosemite. It was after midnight and the full moon bathed the landscape in a pale, calm light. The park had closed hours ago so he was alone. As much as he loved the pace and excitement of the city, every once and awhile he needed to get away. Like most of us, sometimes he just needed to get away from the noise of everyday life to think.

Karen.

She'd been gone a little over two weeks. Their 'relationship' if that's what you call it had been the most confusing of Clark's life. The last week and a half before she left hadn't cleared anything up really. It did do one thing he hadn't expected, it made him feel normal. All Clark's life he'd looked like everyone else, talked like everyone else, acted like everyone else, but he never felt like everyone else.

Now he felt like he understood what everyone had been talking about. In a strange way being with her, another alien had brought him closer to humanity. He was just another guy trying to figure out the woman in his life. Like most guys he still wasn't sure he had. Part of Clark secretly suspected he never would figure women out, but that again put him in the same boat as the majority of guys. Even Batman hadn't solved that mystery.

Clark smiled as he realized that was part of the magic of it. The charm was that even for someone with all his gifts he was in the same boat as everyone else. There would always be things to baffle, confuse and frustrate him about the opposite sex. Being able to see someone's brain didn't help you figure out what they were thinking. Women would always be something of a mystery, but a tantalizing one. Like any great mystery, it was the little discoveries along the way that made it all worthwhile.

Many had wondered if his amazing abilities would eventually distance him from humanity, perhaps even Clark had wondered about this from time to time. The idea of what tethered him to this world or humans seemed to be on many people's mind. It was why Diana's words that night on the monument hit so close to home. He was so different from everyone else. Would that divide only widen as time went on?

That was why the last few weeks with and without Karen had been so amazing. It showed him that maybe these concerns were misplaced. What tethered him wasn't someone else, but him, what he believed in and fought for. Being in love, caring for those around you, fighting for truth and justice for all weren't exclusive human values, any more than life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were the exclusive inalienable rights for just one country or people, but for everyone.

Clark didn't have it all worked out yet, but he felt like he was starting to. A confusing, tumultuous relationship with Karen had been the starting point. He missed her already. Even when she was at her most frustrating, he'd had trouble staying away. He understood her reasons for going back and admired her for them. That didn't mean he liked it, but if roles had been reversed he would have done the same thing. So where did that leave him now?

That was why he was out here. He wanted to clear his head and maybe finds some answers. He wasn't sure if he'd ever see Karen again. He wanted to and hoped one day she would return, but life didn't stop. He had other relationships he needed to address. Clark felt like he'd made the first steps with Kara. There would be more bumps in the road, but she was family. With family you have to forgive a lot.

There were also his teammates in the Justice League. They'd been his allies for five years yet he'd never made the effort to really get to know them. If anything unexpected came out of their trip to Apokolips it was how willing Victor had been to help. Clark realized it was out of friendship he'd gone. He needed to repay Victor's kindness by being the friend he needed. Perhaps he needed to start being more of a friend to all of them.

Then there was Diana.

They'd kissed. What it meant to her or to him or to them was another mystery. It hadn't been the reason he'd gone, but he couldn't deny it meant something. What exactly he wasn't sure. What he hoped was that she didn't think he was just hitting on her, taking advantage of a moment of vulnerability. He didn't know her that well and she didn't know him, so he could understand if that's what it appeared to be. As busy as his and her schedules were, he hadn't had a chance to speak with her alone yet. He wasn't sure what he would say, but he knew he needed to talk to her.

His league communicator went off.

"Yes?"

"Superman, can you come to the station, Wonder Woman's been attacked by Cheetah,' Victor said.

"On my way."

* * *

Earth 2 – New York City

It was all gone; the world they'd known was all gone. The war with Apokolips was over and surprisingly Earth had won, but at a terrible cost. Karen and Helena need only look out their hotel room window to see the massive statue to the fallen 'wonders' that had saved the world. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman had sacrificed everything and paid the ultimate price for Earth's victory. There would be no last minute, against all odds rescue. Karen and Helena were too late, five years too late.

It hit them both hard. While they always knew the chances of anyone surviving were next to zero, until they returned there was a glimmer of hope. Now that was gone. Helena's parents were dead, along with Karen's cousin. Looking out at the statue, no other words needed to be said.

The world had paid a terrible price in the war. Million upon millions were dead and whole sections of the planet had been devastated. In a desperate move to ensure mutual survival, the governments of the world had united under one common banner. Preparations continued should the scourge of Apokolips returned.

If anything the two smaller statues on either side of the center three just made things worse. They were of Karen and Helena, or more accurately Supergirl and Robin. The world believed they had made the same sacrifice as the others. They were proclaimed heroes just like the trinity. The guilt and remorse were overwhelming. They felt like frauds, being celebrated for things they didn't do and given credit for battles they didn't fight. The thought of putting on those old uniforms was over.

They watched TV and even as painful as it was to see them fall again, they didn't turn away. They listened as they were eulogized in death with heavy hearts, only to be shocked to see new 'wonders' emerge, inspired by the sacrifice the originals had made. The world had moved on without them. Those new heroes fought in Washington against something called the Grey that seemed to want to kill all life of Earth. The new heroes, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl and the Flash triumphed and then disappeared, but Earth seemed to have new hope with their emergence. Karen slowly got up and turned off the television.

"It's a lie,' she said, gazing out at the statues. "We didn't do any of those things."

"Robin and Supergirl are dead, Karen,' Helena replied. "Maybe it's better this way."

"But it's a lie."

"Look at the world around us,' Helena explained. "People need something to believe in. They've been through a nightmare and they need heroes, even fallen heroes to inspire them to keep fighting."

"But we're not dead, Helena,' Karen replied. "All of that, all they were saying about us isn't true. We didn't sacrifice our lives like the others. We spent the last five years in another universe, safe from all of it."

"So what do we do?" Helena asked.

"I don't know,' Karen admitted. "I guess the old saying is true, you can't go home again."

"And yet here we are."

"We should tell them the truth, everyone the truth,' Karen stated. "We didn't do those things."

"No." Helena said with a shake of her head.

"What? Why? People deserve to know what really happened,' Karen replied.

"They already know the truth they want to know, Karen,' Helena calmly said. "They need us to be those heroes they thought we were. Telling people different will only anger them and ruin whatever good came of all this."

"How can you say that?"

"_The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance._"

"What?" Karen asked, caught off guard by Helena's response.

"There's a line at the end of the movie,' Helena explained. "When the myth becomes the legend, print the myth."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"People want to believe what they believe,' Helena replied. "They want to believe my dad was more than just a man. They want to believe your cousin and Wonder Woman were demi-gods or angels sent to help them in the worst of times. They want to believe Robin and Supergirl made the same noble sacrifice. They want it all to make sense, even if it doesn't. They want the myth that good always triumphs over evil. They want to believe in heroes. If we take that away from them, what do they have left?"

* * *

The Watchtower

Clark was on the station in a matter of moments. He could see the concern on both Victor and Barry's face as he entered the main room. His eyes immediately went to Diana. She had cuts and scrapes on her arms and face, but there was something else in her eyes.

"I'm fine,' she flatly stated, looking away from them.

"We know you're fine. We've just never seen you, uh, knocked down before,' Barry said.

"Wonder Woman was obviously holding back,' Clark offered.

"Why hold back?" Barry asked.

Clark didn't know the whole story, but he knew enough to know the Cheetah was a friend of Diana's before she was transformed. He also knew Diana blamed herself for what happened.

"Barbara Minerva is the Cheetah and the first friend I made,' Diana reluctantly said. "She worked with me when I first arrived and it was while doing that the Goddess of the Hunt, the Cheetah, possessed her. I'm responsible for what happened to her. I appreciate you looking out for me, but this isn't why the Justice League exists. This is my problem not yours."

Diana turned away from them and focused on the large computer screen. The three of them looked at each other, not sure what to do now. Clark floated next to them, but his eyes were on Diana. He needed to talk to her and now seemed like as good a time as any.

"Can you excuse us for a minute? Victor? Barry?" He asked.

They exchanged glances, unsure what this was all about, but then relented.

"Um, sure,' Barry replied. "We'll be outside, um, waiting, I guess."

As the doors closed behind them, Clark turned his attention to Diana.

"Let us help you find your friend."

"I don't get involved when Lex Luthor or Metallo is causing trouble, do I?" She replied, not looking at him.

"Not because you need it, Diana, but because we want to,' he offered. "I want to. If this is important to you, if it involves helping someone you care about, I want to help."

Diana glanced out of the corner of her eye at him. This was the first time she'd seen him since that night. She didn't want to talk about the kiss, not now. When it happened she had thought a lot about it and what it meant. She still wondered what he meant when he said it wasn't a mistake. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, life had a way of always needing your attention. Diana had been dealing with Hera, Zola and now Barbara, so the kiss wasn't something she wanted to talk about right now. She wasn't sure if she ever wanted to talk about it.

"What happened just happened, Superman,' Diana said. "I'm sure you've kissed lots of women."

Clark almost smirked at the idea.

"Surprisingly not that many,' he replied.

"Be that as it may, what happened just happened."

"I know. It was a kiss, not a commitment,' Clark quietly said. "But it was a nice, Diana."

She turned to face him.

"It was,' she admitted. "But you and I have other responsibilities we need to focus on."

"Like the Cheetah? We can help you find her, Diana."

She gave a shake of her head and looked down at the floor.

"It's not the Cheetah I need to find but the tribe connected with her. They know more about dagger that transformed Barbara into that monster."

"But you haven't found them?" He asked.

"Not yet."

"Then we can help with that,' Clark stated. He turned towards the doors. "Victor?"

The doors slid open and Victor and Barry immediately came in.

"I heard you, Superman,' Victor said. "I've already started mapping the areas we'll need to cover. I've narrowed it down based on the dagger's last known location."

Barry seemed to pick up the thread of the conversation and ran with it.

"We can boom down and I'll do some recon of the terrain,' Barry quickly added. "An hour or two is all it should take."

'You-You don't need to do that,' Diana replied, surprised by all of this.

"It's not problem,' Barry said.

"Happy to help,' Victor added.

For the first time all day, Diana smiled.

* * *

Africa

The sad truth was more and more it didn't seem to matter what country it was, the misery was all too familiar. Michael Holt slowly walked through what was left of the village. Death was everywhere. The combination of civil war, disease, famine and greed were like a new plague rolling across the continent. As always the most vulnerable suffered first and paid the highest price.

He was here looking for answers, but the questions had nothing to do with any current conflict. Since helping Karen and Helena get back home, something had been nagging at the back of his mind. The signature for the boom tube to their Earth had a hauntingly familiar feel to it. Playing a hunch, he'd been investigating any occurrences of that particular signature on this Earth. At first he found nothing, but once he fine-tuned his instruments the faint signals began to appear. They seemed to be spread out all over the globe. Every one he'd investigated so far usually ended up in a place like this. Weapons unlike anything created by any known country or company were always involved. Death seemed to radiate out from those signals. It was too evenly spread to be a coincidence and that's what worried him the most.

The frightening conclusion was someone from that other Earth, Earth 2 if you will, have found a way to transport those weapons here to Earth 1. What their ultimate goal for doing it was still unclear, but now Michael knew the answers weren't going to be found on this world. He needed to go back, back to Earth 2.

* * *

The Watchtower

The fight was over and the Cheetah was in custody. Clark watched as the revelations about who she really was sunk in with Diana. She masked it well, but she couldn't hide the despair the news brought her. When she silently turned and walked away from the others, he found himself following her. When they were alone, she finally spoke.

"My best friend was never my friend at all,' Diana softly said, the sadness plain in her voice. "Barbara was right. I was naïve. I still am. How could I put my trust in someone like her? How could I not see who she really was?"

"Because you were giving people the benefit of the doubt. You were looking for the good instead of the bad. That's something I admire about you, Diana. It's something I try to do myself."

She turned and faced him, almost searching his face for answers.

"If I can't trust my own instincts, I can't trust anyone."

He moved a little closer. This wasn't about the kiss anymore, but her needing a friend.

"You have an entire team of people you can trust,' he offered. "You can trust me, Diana."

"I don't know that much about you, Superman,' she whispered.

"Let's change that," he replied.

* * *

Earth 2 – New York City

Karen stood at the window just staring out at the monument. The grief was overwhelming. She was supposed to be their secret weapon and help turn the tide of the war, yet she'd failed them all. Before she'd been transported from this world her life seemed so full of promise, yet now five years later it seemed to be falling apart at every turn. All during her time on the other Earth she'd resisted making any connections, getting close to anyone, because her whole focus was on getting back here to help.

Now she was back and it was too late. She'd failed them. As if to make matters worst it seemed she'd thrown away whatever she might have had with Clark on that other Earth to come back. She'd ruined that too. She'd lost everything all over again. Every time she tried to do the right thing, it turned out wrong. She was lost.

The door to the room opened and Helena stepped inside. Karen turned and looked at her. Helena looked as if she was ready to explode, but she willed herself to remain calm.

"What? What is it, Helena?" Karen asked.

Helena slowly raised her hand. A piece of paper was crumbled up in her fist.

"He's alive."

"Who?"

"Steppenwolf."

The name sent a jolt of fury through Karen's system. Steppenwolf was the commander of Apokolips' invading army and the murderer of Helena's parents and her cousin.

"Where is he?" She asked between gritted teeth.

"Here on Earth,' Helena replied. "He has the last Amazon with him they're saying."

Karen's fists balled up with rage.

"If she gets between us and him, she'll be the last Amazon to die."

* * *

Earth 2 – New York City

Michael Holt stumbled out of his improvised boom tube into the heart of the city. It looked so much like his world, yet a second glance told him it wasn't. As he gained his balance, he could hear the people around him whispering about whether he was one of the new 'wonders' or from Apokolips. He wanted to reassure them he wasn't an enemy, but before he could speak a man stepped from the crowd.

"Welcome to our Earth, Mr. Terrific, or do you prefer Michael?"

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" Michael asked.

"My name is Terry Sloan and I know all about you,' the man replied with a smile. "They say you're the 3rd smartest man in the world, quite impressive, but I'm afraid I can't allow you to interfere."

"That sounds like a threat,' Michael replied.

"It is."

The man took a step towards Michael and he tossed a few counter measures to stop him. The man smiled as he raised his hand. Suddenly Michael's devices changed and attacked him. An electrical change jolted through his system and he could do nothing to stop himself from crumbling to the pavement. Michael looked up at the man who was standing over him smiling.

"Like I said, you being the 3rd smartest man is impressive. Unfortunately for you, I'm the smartest man in the world. You lose."


	30. Chapter 30

Time takes a cigarette …

Earth 2

The city barely showed its scars, but they were still there just below the surface. Such resilience humans have to come back from one tragedy after another. The stories were wrong, we aren't the children of Adam, we're the children of Job. We'll suffer any lose, any pain, any humiliation, all for that hope of an elusive reward. Hope, that vague notion that things will get better against all evidence to the contrary. That's the essence of the human spirit. That's what separates us from the beasts of the fields and is why we survive and continue on.

Terry Sloan exhaled, letting the smoke drift off into the metropolitan night sky. He stood on the penthouse balcony of the high rise looking over the city that in his mind was just one of many he'd saved. Yes, sacrifices had been made, but sometimes you have to destroy a few villages to save a community. Only a true visionary like himself understood this. Then again, he was the smartest man in the world, so there were not visionaries quite like him.

In the desperate struggle to win the war with Apokolips, Terry had pushed further and further beyond the veil of time, space and any concept of reality. What he saw out there most would say drove him crazy, but he would counter that it gave him clarity of vision. He would reshape his world and make it over again. A second Genesis was in the making, except this time it wasn't God that was behind it, but Terry.

Let there be light.

He launched the weapons that lit up the sky as they destroyed whole cities and wiped out countless infected human beings.

Terry saw the light was good.

Next he separated the earth from the sky, the night from day.

With the other Wonders help, Terry destroyed all the towers that connected his world to Apokolips. There would be no more reinforcements. Yes, Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman had died but they became martyrs to Terry's new world.

More killing was necessary before his world could start anew and Terry went about doing it. The countries of the world banded together, becoming one nation under a groove, Terry's groove. Oh, he was labeled a mass murderer, a monster and a war criminal by the small minds that couldn't understand his clarity of vision. He wasn't concerned; he had a world to rebuild from the ashes. If he went down in history as a monster, so be it, they would never understand all he'd done for them. Maybe in a hundred years they would be able to see the full scope of what he'd accomplished, but he doubted it.

He took a final drag off is cigarette and flicked it over the edge. Terry watched it for a moment as it drifted down towards the street and then checked his watch again. She should be arriving any moment now. Everything was ready. Anomalies always crop up and must be dealt with. Just like the original story, there were always snakes in the garden; hold over's from the time before. Everyone knows what happens if you allow them to infect your new world. Terry Sloan wasn't about to allow that to happen.

Even without looking at his watch, he knew it was time. He still checked, more out of habit than anything else. One of the snakes had arrived.

* * *

Helena had been watching the skyscraper for almost an hour. The message had been short and to the point. It simply said, 'Helena Wayne, Michael Holt's life is in danger. Tell no one and come alone. If you don't, he'll be dead when you arrive.' It gave the penthouse of this building as the address. She thought of telling Karen immediately, but years of training from her father kicked in. It was obviously a trap, but she would play by the rules until she found out who was behind it and what they wanted. Saving Michael's life was the top priority.

It didn't mean she was just going to waltz in the front door. Both her parents would roll over in their graves at the very thought. Leaning on skills handed down from her mother, Helena cased the building, finding every exit, every alarm and every camera. She knew the building backwards and forwards before she even thought about entering. She also had several escape routes in mind as she headed in.

The bedroom was the most vulnerable spot. She silently opened one of the windows and slipped inside. Part of her expected an alarm to immediately sound, but there was nothing. It was as if whoever set this up wanted her to get in. This raised warning bells from both her parents in her mind. It was definitely a trap. Helena's senses were on high as she moved towards the living room.

She saw Michael immediately. He had been set out like some prized art object in the middle of the room. He was wrapped in some sort of mesh and wiring. Small circles dotted the mess. As she moved closer she saw he'd been badly beaten. Bruises covered his face and exposed skin. She could see blood pooling below him. His mouth was gagged, but his eyes were still open. She went to free him immediately, but the sound of the glass door opening made her turn. Instinctively she fired her crossbow. It hit nothing. A man stepped inside and smiled at her. She knew him.

* * *

Terry had run over this confrontation several times in his mind. Opening the sliding glass door, he paused for a beat and then stepped back, letting the arrow whiz by harmlessly. So predictable he thought with a smile.

"Hello, Helena. Would you like me to call you Batgirl for old time sake or nostalgia?" He asked. "No? Good, we both know you haven't been her in a long time. I like the new look. Huntress, it suits you better."

"Terry? Terry Sloan?"

"Ah, good you remember, that will save us time,' he happily replied.

"What have you done to Michael, Terry? Helena asked.

"I tortured him, of course,' Terry replied.

"Why?"

"No reason other than I wanted to," he informed Helena.

She made a move towards Michael.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you,' Terry said. "You see those little circles? Touch one and the others are activated. Some will start to burrow into his flesh, while others will explode. He will die an agonizing death."

"Are you crazy?" She gasped. "He's one of the good guys!"

"Crazy? Really Helena?" Terry said with a pout. "I expect that from the small-minded, but I was so hoping for better from you. As to him being one of the good guys, that's really up to your perspective, I think."

"Release him!" She demanded.

"Or what? You'll shoot me with one of your arrows? Beat me until I do what you want?" He asked. "I think not. If either you or your friend, Karen attempting anything towards me, he dies and so does a few thousand innocent civilians in the city below."

Helena couldn't believe this was happening, When she'd got the voice message about Michael telling her to come here alone, she never imagined something like this. She knew Terry Sloan from her father. Once he had been a good man, a Wonder like the others. He'd fought to save Earth from Apokolips, yet now that she'd returned it seemed five years had changed everything.

Helena had a bad feeling about all of this. She knew how intelligent Terry Sloan was and that made him all the more dangerous. She needed time to figure something out, so she had to keep him talking. From what she remembered, that was one thing he loved, hearing his own voice.

"Why Terry?' She asked again.

He smiled, knowing what she was doing. It didn't matter; he'd been planning on telling her the whole time.

"I wanted your complete attention, Helena" he replied. "I wanted you focused so you could fully understand the clarity of my vision."

Helena willed herself to remain still.

"You have it." She said.

"Good,' he said with a smile. "Would you like something to drink? Wine perhaps? You're twenty-one now, aren't you? "

Helena just shook her head no.

"Are you sure? Okay, well then let's get started with the basics. You and Karen don't belong here."

"This is our home,' she replied.

"No." He said with a shake of his head. "The world you knew died the day the two of you vanished. From its ashes a new world has begun. It's a world with no place for either of you anymore."

"So what? You don't want us back so you torture Michael? That makes no sense." She offered.

"No, no, no,' he replied. "Torturing Mr. Holt as just to punish him, irregardless of you two. As far as you and Karen, well, yes I want you gone, but use your head, Helena, you're already dead remember? Batgirl and Supergirl died heroically helping to save the planet. There's a statue and everything."

"It's a lie,' she stated flatly. "We both know it's a lie."

"But it's a useful one," Terry countered. "People like their martyred heroes dead. Martyrs inspire ordinary people to do great things. Take away the martyrs and you take away the great things. People stop believing and we can't have that."

Terry poured himself a drink and sat down, smiling at Helena. She wanted to attack him, but knew that was the sucker play. He would expect it. She needed to keep him talking, to gather as much information as she could before she acted.

"Liberty Valance."

Terry smiled and clapped.

"Yes, well done, the perfect reference,' he said. "I knew the old man would make sure you had a good head on your shoulders."

"So you want us to disappear and let things go on as they are,' Helena said. "Okay, fine, now let Michael go."

Terry seemed to think about this for a moment.

"Yeah, no, I don't think so."

"I'll give you my word we won't let on that we're alive, Terry."

"Not good enough, Helena,' he replied. "The two of you represent a wild card that I just can't have around. By around, I mean on this planet, in this universe."

"So you want us dead, right? You're going to try and kill us?" She asked. "You lured me here to kill me first?"

"If I wanted you dead, you'd already be dead I assure you,' Terry flatly replied. "You friend Karen might be a little more difficult, but it's been done before, it can happen again. Besides killing is always messy business and I'd like to avoid it in this situation."

"You never had a problem with killing before," Helena pointedly said.

"I still don't if it fits into the larger plan, little girl,' Terry countered. "Don't try and push me. It didn't work when your old man tried it, it won't work for you either."

"Why Terry? Why are you doing all this? You were a good man,' Helena asked.

"I still am in my way," he replied. "I just see things from a different perspective now, a larger perspective."

"Then why?"

"You have no idea, do you?" he said with a sad shake of his head. "The war? The invasion from Apokolips was a mistake. Darkseid was searching for someone; his daughter and Steppenwolf invaded the wrong Earth. All the sacrifices, all the destruction, all of it was because of a mistake. Your father, your mother, Karen's cousin and Diana, all died because of a mistake."

"That-That's not true."

His statement had rocked her. All this time she wanted to believe her father and mother had died for something and he was saying even that was a lie.

"I'm afraid it is, Helena,' Terry patronizingly said. "It was all a simple mistake, Earth 2 instead of Earth 1. This world is closed off from Apokolips' parademons booming in, but they aren't coming again anyway. Poor Steppenwolf is stuck here. He can't go back home and admit his mistake. Darkseid would kill him instantly. The world united because it believed it was necessary to fight off another invasion, an invasion that's never coming. What Darkseid seeks is on the world you just left. That's where the invasion will be next time."

Helena felt like she was collapsing in on herself. Five years they had struggled with one dream in mind, to get back home and make things right again. Even after she had all but given up, Karen hadn't. Finally they made it back and it was all for nothing. It was a mistake, a simple clerical error, 2 instead of 1.

"If-If what you're saying is true, then why all this?" She was still trying to get her head around his revelation.

"Because this world is starting over fresh and there is no place for you and Karen in it,' he replied. "You represent wildcards, anomalies that can upset what is starting to happen. Your friend Karen probably already is planning on attacking Steppenwolf and killing him for his crimes. He deserves it, but if she does attack him, she will have to face his Fury. One of them won't survive that battle. If it's your friend Karen then everyone will know she didn't die when she was supposed to. Steppenwolf will make sure of that. If Fury dies, that throws off everything. She's important for the future of this world."

"She's a killer,' Helena spat back at him. "She works for Steppenwolf and does his bidding."

"She's also Wonder Woman's daughter, she just doesn't know it yet,' he replied. "You see Helena; a new wave of Wonders is starting to happen on this world. They are New Heroes for the coming trials and struggles that will face this world. They will one day band together and form something like the other world's Justice League. Fury will be a centerpiece to that. Lantern, Flash, Hawkgirl are already becoming known to the world at large and others will follow. Inspired from the ashes of your sacrifices they will become this world's champions. Where does your petty need for vengeance stack up with that?"

"Why should I believe anything you say?" Helena asked.

"Because I'm the architect of all of this,' Terry replied with a smile. "I survived when the greatest heroes didn't. This is my world to remaking and I won't allow anything to get in my way."

Terry let this sink in as he took a sip of his drink.

"There is also the matter of your vengeance, Helena,' he continued. "If you and Karen really want it than you have to go back to the world you now belong to, Earth 1 for lack of a better name. The horrors this world suffered won't compare to what will happen on that world. If you want to give your parents deaths any meaning, you need to go back. I give you this chance out of respect for who you and Karen are and who your families are. It's a one time offer, I won't make it again."

"What about Michael?"

"He stays,' Terry flatly said. "He's too clever to let go. Without him, your trip is one way. The technology to get back here is in his head and without him this world is closed off for good. Once you're gone I'll release, him under my supervision of course."

"And if I say no?" Helena asked.

"He dies right now."

"Karen might have something to say about this,' Helena offered.

"That's why you're not going to tell her,' Terry replied. "Steppenwolf will die, I assure you, but only when it serves my purposes. If your friend makes a move on him, I will kill everyone in his country and everyone in another randomly chosen country. Those deaths will be on your head, Helena."

"You are mad," she whispered.

"No, I just have clarity of vision,' he stated. "You have a choice to make. Leave and live full, productive lives, maybe even fall in love and raise families. You two can help save that world that is now your home. Stay and die along with millions of others. It's up to you, Helena to decide."


	31. Chapter 31

Salt in my Tears

"_I saw you laugh when the knife was twisted  
It still hurts but the pain has shifted  
I'm looking back at the time that drifted by  
But I won't cry for the wasted years  
'Cos you ain't worth the salt in my tears."_

Earth 2

Karen floated high over the city that she once thought of as home, Metropolis. While she could still see reminders of the place she knew, the rebuilding had changed everything. It felt like a repeating theme in her life, everything kept changing and it was all beyond her control. She'd struggled and sacrificed so much just to get back here only to find all she knew was gone.

She felt like she was living her life on the deck of a ship in a bottle cast into the ocean. Rudderless, she was tossed and turned by the whims of chance and others. Karen had tried to put her life on hold for five years all with the goal of one-day coming back and making things right again. The deaths of her cousin, Helena's parents and the millions of others had weighted on her the whole time. Karen was supposed to be this Earth's secret weapon against Apokolips. She was told she would be the one to help turn the tide in the war. She was told she was Earth's last best hope.

The weight of those expectations was crushing and shaped every decision she'd made in the past five years. The guilt over not being here, over not living up to all the others expectations had been like an open wound that wouldn't heal. It ruined every chance she might have had at finding any happiness, for always in the back of her mind she would remember she had let everyone down.

She had finally returned to shoulder the burden that had been weighting her down all this time only to find the world had moved on without her. There would be no last minute rescue for her cousin and Helena's parents. There would be no turning the tide in the war and saving countless lives. It was all over and she had missed it.

The statue of the Wonders was just a cruel reminder of what a fraud she felt like. The people believed she had sacrificed herself along with the others, yet she had been safe a universe away the whole time. The war had been won and she was seen as a martyr to the cause of freedom, yet she had done nothing. New heroes were emerging to take up the mantle that she should have five years ago. This world had moved on and there seemed to be no place for her in it. The irony was that the life she'd spent five years avoiding now seemed more real than this one. It had offered her a future and she'd thrown it away in a desperate futile quest for something that didn't exist anymore.

The saddest part was Helena had been trying to warn her all along. Karen just hadn't wanted to hear it, no matter how logical or reasonable it was. She wanted to believe there was some destiny greater than herself that she was meant for. Some reason that all this had happened, but now she saw the truth, life only seems to have a pattern or make sense when you look back at it. Fate and destiny are just illusions to explain choices and mistakes. There was no script on a page somewhere with it all written down.

If seemed all of Karen's life someone else was deciding for her, from her parents sending her off from their dying planet to her cousin hiding her away on Earth to the boom tube that transported her to the other Earth, none of it had been of her choice. Others did what they thought was best for her. Each time the pressure seemed to be compounded. She'd been the hope for Krypton's future, Earth's secret weapon and its last hope. Most of the decisions had been made believing they were in her best interests, but still they never consulted her about what she might want. Even coming back had somehow felt like it was expected of her, required by those left behind.

Karen knew she had to stop it, stop letting others decide her fate, stop trying to live up to others dreams and expectations. She wasn't her parents or her cousin and while they all had the best intentions for her, it was her life now to live. She had to find her own way, her own path so one day when she did look back it was a destiny of her own creation she saw. She now understood she could never take her cousin's place here. She also realized she didn't want to. The future others had so carefully mapped out for her had been sidetracked and she realized she could never go back. Her future was someplace else, with someone else. It was finally her choice alone and she realized she'd already made it.

There were just a few loose ends to deal with from the past before she could start living her own life.

* * *

Smallville

The red barn shimmered in the sunlight. The wheat swayed gently against the soft breeze. Clark and Diana stood on the rise looking down at the Kent family farm.

"Why are we here, Kal?" She asked.

"I wanted to show you this and maybe to remind myself,' he gently replied.

"Show me what?"

"I know it's been hard lately for you, Diana.' he stated. "Ending things finally with Steve and Barbara's betrayal just being the latest in a series of hardships. You said we're not like the Gods and we're not like humans either, that we're not like anyone. I know how you must have felt when you said that, even though we have different lives. Your world is steeped in mythology, the stuff of magic, Greek Gods and legends while mine sometimes feels like something out of a science fiction novel. It's easy to forget with all that is going on why when it gets down to it we're really not that different."

"How do you mean?"

"My biological parents sent me away from a dying planet, but they had no idea what I would find when I got wherever I was going,' Clark explained. "A million different things could have changed the course of that tiny ship and my future. I used to think it was incredibly lucky that the Kents that found me and I'm still grateful for everything they did, but they aren't the only decent, honest, kind people in the world, Diana. I brought you here not because they were so unique, but because they represent the good in so many. It's easy to forget while battling Gods and villains that most people aren't like that. They have the same basic needs and desires you and I have. They want to be happy, find love and see the good in others. They want a home and family, friends to share their life with. They think nothing of chipping in to help another. They quietly hope for a better future for their children and do their part to make it a reality."

Clark paused, waiting to see if Diana would say anything. She just waited for him to continue.

"Their dreams aren't so different than yours or mine, Diana. They are dreams worth fighting for and believing in. You try and see the good in everyone and I've always admired you for that. We don't always get what we want, but that brings us closer to ordinary people not further from them. We don't need to be anchored or tied to humanity, because we're apart of it. It might be on a grander scale, but we're doing the same thing most people are, trying to live a good, decent life, find love and happiness and help make it a better tomorrow."

He took her hand and they both slowly began to rise off the ground. When they were a hundred feet in the air, Clark turned Diana towards the horizon just as the sun was setting.

"It's sunset now and things might seem hopeless, but sunrise will be here before you know it signaling the start of another day. That means another chance to find all those things we share with everyone else. Don't let the momentary darkness stop you from remembering that, Diana."

* * *

London – Later

Diana had dinner with Clark in Smallville. They drew quite the crowd, as they were both still in their uniforms. She was used to being looked at, but at first there was something disconcerting about being stared at from that close up. Slowly though, as some of the people got the courage to introduce themselves, Diana felt herself relaxing. A few asked if they could take a picture or get an autograph, but most left them in peace to enjoy the simple, yet good dinner.

Flying back to London, Diana had been rolling over in her mind was Clark had said. She had to admit the last few months hadn't been good. The revelation about her true origins just seemed set off a series of events that rocked her world. Hippolyta was now not just her mother in name, but it fact. Zeus was Diana's father. She was still trying to absorb this when Hera took her vengeance out on Hippolyta and the rest of the Amazons. She turned Diana's mother into stone and the rest into snakes. Suddenly the world she had always known was gone.

Diana had soldiered on, but the blows hadn't stopped. The ordeal with Steve and the realization that Barbara had willingly become the Cheetah seemed like the tipping point. She had always felt different from everyone else, but now she felt truly alone. Diana knew some of that was the reason she had kissed Clark that night, but not all. He seemed to understand the isolation she was feeling and they had reached out for each other.

She could see the lights on in her apartment. The motley crew that seemed to have inadvertently gathered around her were still up. Zola, Lennox, Hera and who knows who else were there. It suddenly hit Diana that what she had always thought she was missing, she suddenly had. She was no longer just a bit of animated clay, unique in all creation, but part of something larger, a family. They may not all get along or even tolerate each other, but they were connected forever. She was connected forever.

Maybe it was the reason she was fighting so hard for Zola and her baby. In their family so few had a chance at a normal life. The half sisters and brothers Diana had already met attested to this. Perhaps this was her chance to change all that. Whether others saw a threat, Diana saw a possibility for a new start to the family line. Her own mother had sacrificed to give her that chance and now she could pass it along to another, the next generation and make Zola's child's tomorrow a better world.

* * *

Metropolis

Clark opened the door to his apartment and went inside. Tonight with Diana had been good. He hoped he'd help her, even if it was only in a small way. He felt a connection with her and if it could only be as a friend, he would take it. He wasn't really in a place to offer anything more. In was in that spirit that his words had been offered and he wanted them to lessen her pain, but as he stood alone in his apartment they rang hollow in his own ears.

He did want all those things he'd spoken about, it just seemed they weren't in the cards for him.

Family, he'd made a few small steps with Kara, but there was a real possibility they would never be close. She had disappeared since leaving the Watchtower. He wasn't sure when he'd see her again.

Love, fleetingly he thought of Diana, but knew he wasn't in a place where that would be fair to her. Perhaps if they'd connect a year ago, things would be different. He'd met Karen first. He could admit now, as illogical and confusing as it was, he'd fallen for her. At every turn it was as if life was telling him it wasn't going to last, but his heart wasn't listening. Now she wasn't just a world away, but a universe.

As he opened the glass door and looked out over the city, it seemed that dream he'd talked about to Diana was just that, a dream.

* * *

Earth 2

"I'm not leaving him like this." Helena knelt over Michael and glared up at Terry Sloan. "You've made it abundantly clear you're giving me no choice, but if you're as smart as you think you are, you must know I can't leave him with you to be tortured."

"What if I gave you my word?" Terry sarcastically said with a snide smile.

"I wouldn't believe you,' she replied. "Murder innocent people? Yes, that I'd believe but offer compassion, no, not you."

"You wound me."

Terry was enjoying this. He believed he'd thought of every possible outcome for how this would go, so it didn't matter what she tried he was ready for her. That just meant he could enjoy the little game they were playing awhile longer. He knew Helena was clever and given who her father was probably had a back up plan or two, but he was smarter. He was smarter than her or her old man and had already thought of everything they could come up with.

Helena was her father's daughter, but also her mother's. She had run through every scenario, every possibility, but was left with nothing. For once she wasn't five steps ahead of her opponent. She was more likely five steps behind him. She needed to stall so she could use the advice her mother would have given her. If you can't win fair and square, cheat. Slowly she stood up to face him and at the same time press down on the homing beacon in her belt.

"You've got what you wanted, Terry,' Helena said. "There's no reason to continue torturing Michael. I'll leave just like you asked. Let him go."

Terry tapped his fingers against his chin and glanced up as if he were considering it.

"Ah, no."

"Please, Terry."

"Would you beg, Helena? Would daddy's little prodigy beg me?" He asked with a cold smile. Before his death, everyone had believed Batman was so brilliant, so much smarter than everyone else, but it was Terry that had won and survived. While the Trinity had served it's purpose and still were Terry believed the truth about them was quite different. In his mind they were noble, but also fools. They never saw what had to be done and even if they had they wouldn't have been willing to do it. They were the heroes and he was the villain but it was him that ended the war, not them. His genius devised the plan, not Batman. It was such a delicious irony that the great Batman's little girl was now realizing who the real brains behind the Wonders was.

"Would you, Helena? Beg?"

"If that's what it will take for you to let Michael go, yes, Terry, I'll beg,' Helena replied. "Please, I beg you, let him go."

"I like that, really I do,' Terry said with a smile. "The answer is still no, but I really like that, Helena."

She glared at him, but he only laughed in reply.

"Don't beg him, Helena, don't give him the satisfaction."

Terry turned around to see Karen hovering just outside the penthouse.

"Ah, so you signaled your friend to come to the rescue,' he said with a sigh. "So predictable, I had hoped for better from you two. I suppose now you'll try to distract me while the other makes an attempt to free Michael Holt. It won't work, I've already thought of everything. I must say I'm disappointed. I thought perhaps five years had made you a harder challenge, but now I see you're both still the little girls you were before you left."

Terry moved over and opened the sliding glass doors and smiled at Karen.

"So what now, Karen?" He asked. "Your dramatic arrival was meant to scare me, right? It failed. As I told you both before, I'm the smartest man in the world, you can't think or do anything I haven't already considered."

Terry turned to Helena.

"Move another inch closer to Mr. Holt and I'll press the trigger and he'll die along with thousands of others."

Terry turned back towards Karen, but now she was standing right in front of him. He instinctively took a step back.

"You may be the smartest human, Terry, but remember, I'm not human,' Karen said to him.

"It doesn't make any difference, Karen, you'll do what you're told like a good girl, just like you always have,' he replied.

Another person trying to tell her what she had to do, Karen thought.

"Your cousin was perhaps the greatest of all the Wonders, Karen,' Terry stated. "You're just not him, honey, you never will be."

Karen hadn't backed down, but stood just staring at him.

"Give it up, little girl, I've already thought of everything,' Terry said with a smirk.

Karen continued looking at him.

"You're right, Terry, I'm not my cousin,' she said in a very low and calm voice. Karen took a deep breath and closed her eyes for just a moment. She opened them and stared into Terry's.

Twin red beams shot from her eyes directly into his, slicing through his brain and bursting out the back of his skull. Helena unleashed an arrow that punctured his wrist, but Karen already had the trigger out of his hands. His mouth opened in shock, but he was already dead. His body crumbled to the ground.

"I guess we'll never know if you thought of that,' Karen whispered down to him. She didn't give him another thought as she moved over to where Helena and Michael were.

"Karen?" Helena said, looking at her friend.

"Let's get Michael out of this,' she replied. "We have some unfinished business and then we're leaving Helena. We're going back. You were right, this isn't home anymore."


	32. Chapter 32

Winter Solstice

Earth 2 – Gotham

A melancholy trip, equal parts remembrance and farewells. The war battered city of her childhood. Helena knew she couldn't leave without at least saying goodbye. This place was in her blood just as it was with her parents.

The light and the dark combined here.

As she moved among the ruins of Wayne Manor memories flooded back. Looters had taken anything of value long ago, but it was never the things that mattered to Helena anyway. The place and the people were so much more important. They were gone, but certainly not forgotten.

Where the world saw Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle or Batman and Catwoman, Helena only saw Mom and Dad. They weren't perfect parents by any stretch of the imagination, but they loved her and that's really all any child wants to know when it gets right down to it.

Her father had such a hard time showing affection, yet somehow her mother was able to get him to open up. Helena smiled as she remembered him teaching her to ride a bicycle. He was right behind her as she weaved through the hallways of the second floor. He told her she was on her own but she knew he never let go of the seat.

Her mother too was different than most imagined. Helena remembered how they had sat in the kitchen together addressing Valentines for her classmates or going to the zoo to see the lions and tigers. It was those little Mom things she did that no one else knew about, but Helena would always treasure.

She remembered when she was a little older being embarrassed at how touchy feely they were with each other. Now she realized it was from that deep love for each other that their love for her began. They each had their own way of expressing it towards her, but it was never in doubt.

Everywhere she looked memories came flooding back. For her the mansion wasn't the grim, haunted place of her father's childhood, but home. Her childhood hadn't been the struggle to survive on the uncaring streets of Gotham like her mother's either, but rather a world family and love.

She moved slowly up to where the Wayne family plot was. Looters had for the most part left it alone, figuring nothing of value could be found among the dead. Tears, something neither of her parents openly succumb to often, easily came to her eyes. The thought that she would never see either of them again was impossibly sad. All the time she was away Helena had tried to pragmatic, but she could never shake the improbably dream that if she ever returned somehow they would be here to greet her. Now even that was gone, just as they were forever.

She noticed the fresh flowers in front of both their graves. In all the sadness it seemed there was one point of light. She knew Alfred was alive and watching over her parents even in death. Earlier in the day she had gone to see him, just to let him know she was alive. She found him in a small, tasteful house just outside the city. Helena was surprised to see he was living with a woman, Claire and apparently they were a couple. The first tears of the day came when they saw each other. He was like her grandfather in ever way that mattered.

He started asking about her plans and she knew he was wondering if she would take over her father's mantle. He was asking without saying it if she needed him to return to his familiar role. As she glanced around the small home, Helena knew she couldn't take him away again. He'd put her father's life ahead of his own all those years ago and then her mother's and hers too. This was his time. Like Ulysses, Alfred needed to come home from the sea and the mission. He had found something of his own here with Claire and Helena wasn't going to take it away from him.

They parted with hugs and kisses, along with vague promises about the future but she'd already made her decision. Coming back was like a trip home from college on break. It was all so familiar, yet something had changed. It would always be home, but her life was elsewhere now. She had made the transition into adulthood and the world of her childhood was the thing of memory.

* * *

New York

Karen was tired and troubled. She wanted nothing more than to leave this world, but knew it would take time.

Michael Holt had agreed to help them get back, but he wasn't going with them. He had decided to stay. He explained this world had mountains for him to climb, while he'd already reached all the peaks back home. In the end she had just accepted his decision.

She was a killer now. She had ended Terry Sloan's life. She expected to feel remorse or guilt, but strangely felt nothing different. It had always been this great taboo her cousin had drilled into her, yet now that she'd crossed that line Karen felt numb about it. It was the logic thing to do. If she let him live he would just continue to spread his misery over this world.

In a way it felt as if she were unmoored to the past. This world she'd been so desperate to get back to now seemed as alien as it did when she first arrived. She'd only spent two years here before and her link was her cousin. He was gone. She wasn't a human, no matter how much she looked like them. She had always struggled to fit in here, to be like everyone else. She wasn't though and never would be.

Glancing out the window at the city below Karen could see the statue of the fallen Wonders. They had been so invested in this world, their home that they'd made the ultimate sacrifice. She had so wanted to save them, but wishing and dreaming doesn't make it so. She was 21 and seemed haunted by so many things.

Turning away from the window, Karen closed the curtains and crawled in the bed. She hadn't slept since they arrived and it didn't take much before she surrendered to its embrace.

The dream began some time later. It started as many of her dreams began back on Krypton. It was the world of her birth and childhood. She saw her parents and friend and it was all so vivid like memories come to life. Then things changed.

It was like a bullet had burst through a pane of glass. A hole opened and the spidery cracks began to spread across the surface. The world of her origins began to fragment as the cracks spread until nothing could stop them. Shards began to fall shattering into dust until she was engulfed in it. The winds began to howl and swirl until she was alone with only the dark emptiness of space surrounding her.

Karen wasn't sure if she was falling or tumbling, as she had no point of reference. A white light flooded her field of vision, momentarily blinding her. When it winked out she was standing on a city street. It could be this world or the other, she wasn't sure. All around her people moved in every direction. Karen caught a glimpse of her reflection in a store window and turned. She was her present age, 21, dressed in the elegantly casual suit she favored for running her business.

She wondered if she was back in New York, the New York of the other world where she had spent the last five years. A sense of excitement seemed to run through her and she began walking, looking for familiar landmarks. The further along she went the more she realized this dream city was an amalgamation of both worlds. Shops and landmarks seemed to mingle seamlessly into one.

It all seemed fantastic and surreal to her. Karen felt surprisingly calm as she moved through this mixed up city. Some things always remain the same, and she saw a Starbucks. Even here they seemed to be on ever other street. She walked inside and moved towards the counter wanting the familiarity of it. A smiling young woman asked to take her order. Karen glanced at the border and made her decision, but when she looked back at the young woman something had changed. The young woman seemed older, perhaps only by a few years, but the difference was there. Karen numbly paid for her coffee and then left the shop.

The experience with the young woman had rattled Karen for some reason. She tried to put it down as just a trick her mind was playing on her, but when she brought the to go cup up to her lips, Karen couldn't help noticing it had subtly changed too. Most people probably wouldn't even detect the slight difference, but being a businesswoman herself, Karen knew all about product lines. Companies changed things about their designs year to year to give the illusion the product is always new. Retailers such as Starbucks and McDonalds have it down to a science. The company logo stays basically the same but the details all around it change with both the season and the year.

The cup Karen was holding was from three years in the past. It could have been that particular store just trying to get rid of some old stock, but when she looked away and then back, the cup had shifted again to another year's design. Karen stopped and just stared at the cup waiting to see if she could actually see it shift. Nothing seemed to happen. She glanced away quickly and then back at the cup but it was still the same. What had changed was the street around her.

Store windows up and down the block normally would have the latest products and fashions, yet everywhere she looked it was as if each store was in a different calendar year. An electronics store had a huge banner announcing they now had the latest craze, the Ipod Touch 2 while a fashion boutique next door was showed a manikin in colored tights and leg warmers. As she started moving, Karen realized the changes were happening more frequently. One minute a corner store was a hair salon and the next it had morphed into a video rental store.

Whole stores that had been around for decades seemed to shift and change every time she looked away. It was like watching slides of the numerous remodelings each franchise made over the years. Even as time seemed to have come unstuck around her, Karen remained the same, still 21, still in the same outfit.

As her anxiety level raised the changes shifted again. Suddenly Karen was seeing people she knew on the street. They were people from both worlds and every time she looked away, they would change.

"Oh, no, please, no,' Karen whispered as she saw Helena coming towards her. Helena smiled, but with each step she would change ages, older and younger. Just as she was about to reach Karen, Helena shifted again this time to what she might look like as an old woman. The smile died on her lips as she stumbled and fell. Karen started to rush towards her, but it seemed to take an impossibly long time. She was gone before Karen could do anything.

"Don't worry Karen."

She turned to see her parents standing together.

"Mom? Dad?" Karen gasped. "What-What's happening?"

Karen watched in horror as her parents became younger and then older again. They were basically skeletons with bits of flesh hanging out their bones.

"It's the way of this world, Karen, everyone you've ever known is going to die, but not you,' her father's corpse said. He shifted back to the way she last saw him. "You're going to have to watch them all die, baby, I'm sorry."

"No!" Karen screamed and started rushing away from them. All around her the same thing was happening. People she knew, her employees and friends from the other world, as well as the people she knew here would continuously shift in age until they would crumble into dust in front of her eyes. They were all human, all so fragile compared to her. Their lives ended in minutes in the grand scheme of things, while every time she caught a glimpse of herself she was exactly the same, 21.

The times shifts continued, as everything around her seemed caught up in it like a wave washing over the entire city. Buildings crumbled and then new ones shot up in their place. Traffic shifted, cars becoming buggies and then hover cars all mixed together. Chaos ensued, explosions, gunfire, natural disasters, every event for the past hundred years and every event for the next hundred seemed to be happening at once.

Bits of dust began to assault Karen and she realized it was the remains of those all around her. Each time they would shift parts of them would be missing, as the dust grew thicker and thicker. Karen watched in horror as everyone she knew on either planet died in front of her eyes over and over again.

Not quite everyone.

Her vision clouded by the dust, Karen thought she saw a figure in the distance. At first she couldn't make him out, but she knew it was a man and the time shifts didn't seem to be affecting him either. How this was possible she didn't know. A thought flashed through her mind that maybe he wasn't human either.

Clark.

Karen found herself running, half blind from the dust, but running towards the figure. The desperation was palpable as she weaved her way in and out of the crowd trying not to look them in the eyes as she watched them die over and over again. As fast as she ran she didn't seem to be getting any closer. It was almost as if he didn't see her and was walking away. In desperation she screamed.

"Clark!"

Karen sat up in the bed, her eyes wide, her breathing ragged. She was back in the hotel on the wrong Earth.

* * *

Gotham

Helena had one more stop to make before she left for good. Much of he business district had already started to rebuild and gleaming new towers rose among the rumble. As she walked down the carpeted hallway towards the law offices on the top floor, she could almost feel every eye on her, wondering who she was. She was still dressed in black and had sunglasses on. The firm of Bennington, Marsh, Danbury and Associates had been around for over a hundred years and were considered the top law firm in Gotham and the east coast. Helena walked up to the front desk.

"Yes, may I help you?' The pretty receptionist said, as she answered one of the phones.

"I'd like to see Mr. Bennington or Mr. Danbury, please,' Helena replied. "Mr. Marsh if they aren't around."

"I'm afraid the managing partners are in a board meeting right now, Miss …"

"Wayne, Helena Wayne."

The phone slipped from the receptionist's ear as she looked up to see Helena for the first time.

"W-W-Wayne?" She stammered.

"That's right,' Helena replied with a smile.

"Just-Just a moment, Miss Wayne, I'll get Mr. Bennington and Mr. Danbury for you."

"You might as well tell Mr. Marsh too while you're at it,' Helena suggested.

"Yes, ma'am."

A flurry of activity later, the three senior partners came rushing from their offices and down the hallway.

"Helena? This is a surprise,' Mr. Bennington offered. "I'm sorry, we just assumed you were a causality of the war like your parents."

"No, I was far away from the fighting,' Helena replied.

"Where?" Mr. Marsh asked.

"Some place safe."

There was pause as if they were waiting for her to say more. When she didn't, the three men seemed to get a bit flustered.

"I was hoping we could discuss some business, gentlemen, but not here in the lobby,' Helena finally said, breaking the silence.

"Yes, yes, of course, we don't we move into the main conference room,' Mr. Danbury suggested. Helena nodded and the four of them set out towards the back hallway.

"So what business do you want to discuss, Helena?" Bennington asked as they walked.

"Wayne Enterprises,' she replied. "Since I'm still the largest stock holder I'd like to convert it into a charitable trust run by Alfred Pennyworth."

Marsh and Danbury nearly tripped as they heard this.

"A trust run by your former butler?" Danbury said. "Wayne Enterprises is still a huge company and I'm not sure the board of directors will go along with this, Helena."

"Then I guess it's a good thing I don't need their support or for them to go along with it, isn't it?" Helena replied. "Largest share holder, remember?"

* * *

Earth 2 – The country of Dherain

Karen floated several miles above the Earth's atmosphere over the capital. This was the small country Steppenwolf had overtaken while he was exiled here on the planet. He had been Darkseid's point man during the invasion and the murderer of Karen's cousin and Helena's parents.

She knew Helena wouldn't leave until he was brought to justice. Helena would also want to be part of capturing him. Karen wanted those things too, but even more she was desperate to get back to the other world.

She had been hovering up here in space for the last hour high above any radar and sensors they might have, taking in all of Steppenwolf's and the countries defenses. As she suspected before she arrived they were a formidable fighting force. It was probably why the new world government hadn't tried to arrest him yet a war criminal. Even they weren't sure they cold defeat him and his army.

How many more lives would be ruined and lost trying to make him pay for his crimes?

She saw his prodigy or lieutenant, Fury; the supposed daughter of Wonder Woman training and Karen could fully believe Diana was her mother. The warrior spirit of an Amazon trained, as a fighter of Apokolips wasn't going to be an easy battle. If she was even half the warrior Diana was, Karen wasn't sure she could beat her in a hand-to-hand battle.

Karen wasn't going to battle her though. Fury and all of Steppenwolf's defenses meant nothing to Karen. They might be the strongest human fighting force on the planet right now, but she wasn't human. The unmoored feeling had been growing within her. She felt isolated and alone, the last of her kind, which she was. She was a Kryptonian and as she hovered over the royal palace it felt as if the last illusions about pretending to be like everyone else had slipped away.

On this world she wasn't like anyone else. She saw no reason to fight like she was.

Karen waited until Steppenwolf was alone in his bedroom. She could see his smile and imagined he thought he was safe from everything on this world, with his Fury and army he was untouchable. Seeing him smile and remembering all the misery he was responsible for sealed Karen's decision.

It was over in a moment. One quick burst from her eyes. Two red beams shot down through the reinforced roof and directly into his chest. Two holes burned right through him and continued on through the bed and the floor. Another quick burst of her heat vision finished the job, severing his head from his body.

There would be no battle, no long list of causalities. Just his death and it was over.

They had trained all this time for an attack, they just hadn't expected it to be from someone other than the humans.


	33. Chapter 33

DEVIL [2] DEEP BLUE SEA

New York

They were back in the world they wanted to be in. It was the world they'd spent five years growing up in, but it wasn't a happy homecoming. Two words had changed everything for Helena.

"Damian's dead."

She had only known him briefly because of their two meetings, but it still felt like a death in the family. It churned up all the feelings she thought she'd put to rest back on the other Earth. He wasn't her brother or half brother or even related really, yet the loss felt acutely personal. Helena realized he was probably as close to having a sibling as she was ever going to get. The excitement of being back just seemed to whither in front of her eyes.

Tears followed.

It was such a strange and different sadness that overwhelmed her. For some reason the death of a sibling is more of a shock then the death of a parent. Both are unimaginably sad, it's just that the later always seems to catch you by surprise. In most cases there is a moment when you realize your parents aren't young anymore. You see the passage of time with them and realize their end is closer than the beginning.

A sibling always feels more like a peer. You've grown up together and seen each other make the same awkward steps towards adulthood. When they die it isn't worse than a parent, just more unexpected. It ends the illusion that you'll always be young and nothing can touch you. It brings your own mortality home.

Helena had experienced more than her fair share of loss in her young life. She thought she'd hardened herself against, but as the tears fell she realized no one ever could. She was at a loss for what do now. This wasn't her world, at least not as far as family goes. Damian, Bruce, Selina, they weren't related to her, as much as she wished they were.

There was really no one left on her own world and she'd come back to this one hoping to start a new life. It seemed tragedy had followed here. She wasn't sure what her place was. Should she go to the funeral? Would her presence only remind Bruce of what he'd lost? Was she even welcome? Helena had no answers for any of these questions.

The one thing Helena was sure of was she needed to be in Gotham. It made no sense really, but whichever world she was on something about the city took hold of her. Something about the place seemed to always lure its citizens back, no matter how far they roamed from it. It really wasn't something she could explain, even to Karen, but someone from Gotham would know exactly what she meant.

Karen had been supported and offered to go with her, but this was one trip Helena needed to make on her own. She did agree to a ride from Karen and promised to holler if she needed help, but this felt almost too personal to share with even her best friend.

* * *

New York

Karen had dropped Helena off and returned to her corporate headquarters. In was the weekend so most of her employees were gone but the few that remained were glad to see her. Karen thanked them all before heading for her office. Once she closed the door, she took a deep breath and leaned against the door so she wouldn't collapse.

She been doing her best to hold it together for Helena's sake, but all the time Karen felt as if she was collapsing in on herself. The unmoored feelings had become even stronger now that she was back. Increasingly she felt isolated, alien from everyone around her. She had thought of Clark immediately upon returning, but now she wasn't sure what to do. It seemed the thing she did most often was hurt him. Karen wanted desperately to go to him, but feared it would only lead to hurting him again. She didn't want that most of all.

She had killed two people and while she could rationally justify both, it didn't mean they hadn't taken a toll. She wasn't a sociopath so there was an emotional toll that came with her actions. Ending two lives has to change you. In Karen's case it added to her sense of isolation and alienation. The great fear her cousin had warned her about was that once she crossed that line it would destroy her with guilt and remorse. Karen found he was wrong or at least partially wrong. The real fear was that once she crossed that line it became easily to cross it again. Karen feared that now she'd crossed it the temptation would always be there to do it again and again and each time it would be just a little easier than the last.

The word killer is so casually thrown around everyday that it has almost lost its meaning. A killer app, a killer presentation, a killer video game, etc. etc, the word has become a modifier for so many trivial things, but words have meaning.

Killer - a person or thing that kills, a taker of life.

A person or thing, Karen was sure which she was anymore. At her young age death had always been a constant. Her family and world were gone. Her cousin and last link to the past was gone. It seemed her dreams were even telling her that eventually even her best friend, Helena would be gone. Through all of it, Karen just continued on as if untouched by time or events.

She was 21 and lost, unmoored from those around her. Karen still had dreams and hopes, but those seemed to be fading too. The worst part was she feared it was all by her own hand.

She'd found love, but pushed it away again and again. She'd been so desperate to get 'home', it took finally getting there to realize it wasn't home anymore. Home is where your heart is. This world was where Karen's was; only she feared most of all that she'd already lost.

There were a million reasons why he probably moved on. Any one of them would be valid.

Given time he might have started to think about how they were almost related. They were from different worlds in different universes, but both from the same planet and the essentially the same family. She had thought of it herself at first, constantly comparing Clark to her cousin back home. She thought of him as almost a doppelganger until she met and spent time with him.

The names might be the same, but that was really where the similarities ended. There was a Supergirl in this universe too, but she wasn't Karen. Again, names were the same, but biologically, genetically, historically, whatever you wanted to consider, they were different women from different universes.

That was a hurdle Karen hoped he'd gotten past long ago. Her own treatment of him was another story. As confused as she was about her own feelings it seemed she had almost toyed with his. At times Karen was desperate to push him away, yet never able to stay away from him. She wanted him dreadfully, yet feared wanting him too. Trying to live up to promises and roles others had made for her, she had been too afraid to hold onto what she wanted. It had taken a trip back to the other world for her to realize it.

There was also the real possibility that he'd moved on. She'd told him good-bye and hadn't planned on returning. She never expected him to carrying a torch for her. On the other Earth her cousin had married Lois and had a brief relationship with Diana before the end. Both those women were alive in different versions in this world, along with countless others. How could she expect him to just wait for her? She certainly didn't feel special right now, different, alien from everything around her but not special.

Then there was the reason she feared the most. When Clark found out what she'd done back on the other Earth it would change the way he looked at her. He wasn't the same man, but they shared some beliefs. Not killing was one of the central ones. Karen feared seeing that look in his eyes. The look that told her he saw her as a killer now. The unspoken reproach and almost hidden disgust over her actions would be in that look. It was almost worse than being nothing to him. She had no one to blame but herself. She'd gone over both of them a thousand times and knew in her heart she would do it exactly the same in the same circumstances.

Helena hadn't said, but Karen thought she saw her best friend looking at her different now. If she looked at her like that, how could Clark not?

Karen knew she'd go on, that's what she did. Everyone around slipped away one by one, but she just continued to go on. Only now she knew it would be alone because she'd been too afraid to hold on to what she wanted. It didn't matter which universe or planet she was on, the world wasn't fair, not for heroes or ordinary people. It was a hard lesson to learn so young.

Karen slowly moved over to the windows. She looked out on a city and world that hadn't been ravaged by Darkseid, at least not yet. It seemed to offer so much promise, yet she feared the one thing she wanted more than anything was already lost to her. Sadly she now understood that's what happens when you let fear rule your life.

* * *

The Arctic

The battle with H'el was over and Clark could still feel it down to his bones. Kara was recovering. Superboy or Kon had left a short while ago and Diana had left after that. Clark's mind seemed to shift from one to the other. Kara had been so willing to believe H'el could get her home, back to her family. Clark understood it, he did. The idea of Krypton had always been something akin to a myth for him, but when faced with the possibility of actually going back he'd been tempted too.

It seemed the temptation to go home was strong in every Kryptonian.

While she had helped save Earth in the end, the fact that she had been willing to turn against him so willingly still troubled Clark. He tried to understand, to see if from her point of view, but he thought they'd made some progress on trusting each other. Now it seemed that was still in doubt.

Superboy, the name still sounded strange to Clark. A clone or hybrid of a Kryptonian and something else, yet still a young teenager barely months old. Clark wasn't sure what his responsibilities towards Kon were. Was he supposed to be a big brother or a father to him? He wasn't sure he was ready for either. He also had no clue how Kon felt about all of it. Clark admired how the boy had fought; yet as soon as the fighting was over he disappeared. That should probably tell Clark how much the boy wanted to be around him.

Clark would leave the door open if Kon wanted to have a relationship with him, but he wouldn't hold his breath. Relationships weren't something Clark was very good at by all the evidence.

Then there was Diana. She'd been there for him again. Their blossoming friendship was the one bright spot in his life, but there was still a dark cloud on the horizon. He wasn't sure if she wanted more than friendship from him. She seemed to know that was all he could give right now and graciously didn't push for more. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought of it. He'd always known she was an extraordinary woman but was still finding out just how extraordinary.

Life wasn't fair. If their timing had only been slightly different, things might have worked out. It hadn't though and he cared for her too much to start something when his heart wasn't fully in it. She deserved better than that. It seemed the Kryptonian heart wasn't really that different from the Human heart, as crazy and illogical as it was it wanted what it wanted. Clark knew you don't start a new relationship when you're still not over the last.

As confusing and illogical as his relationship was with Karen, it didn't feel like it was over. She might be another universe away never to return, but he still felt as if it were unresolved. Maybe it would just take time, he didn't know. Maybe the first time you fall in love it's supposed to feel like this. He had no experience to call on. When you fall for the first time, it seems you fall hard. You don't bounce back quite so quickly. Perhaps that's why they always used the arrow of love metaphor, because it's a wound that doesn't heal so easily.

So in essence, Clark was still alone. He had friends and something of a dysfunctional family now, but there was still a piece missing. He would go on, there was no other choice and perhaps in time that wound would heal and he'd finally find that missing piece. Right now that seemed like a long shot.

Clark checked on Kara again and saw she was resting, but recovering. There would be time for them to talk later. Right now he needed to be elsewhere. A man he considered a friend was grieving the lose of a child. Clark knew he didn't have any words to make it better, but he needed to offer his condolences. He didn't imagine they would do any good, but it was the thing you do.

It was just another reminder the world isn't fair. You go through the rituals because you really don't know what else to do.

* * *

Gotham – The Batcave

The computer screens were the only illumination in the great room. Data constantly streamed over the monitors unaffected by events around them. That couldn't be said for the man sitting in front of them. Bruce wasn't looking at the monitors, but a glass case with a uniform in it. Robin. Damian. His son was dead.

The sorrow Bruce was feeling was like a bottomless pit he would never climb out of. There was also anger, at Talia, at himself, at the world for letting something like this happen. If he'd been a man of faith, Bruce would have curse a God that could play such a cruel joke. All his life Bruce had been fighting so no other child would have to watch their parents die in front of their eyes.

The bitter irony was that in a way he'd succeeded. It had been the parent that watched the child die in front of his eyes. It had been Bruce that watched Damian die in front of his eyes.

The condolences had already started coming in from everyone. He knew the ritual well and tried his best to be gracious, but the pain was too fresh, too deep to put on a brave face. Bruce thanked all of them, Tim, Jason, Barbara, Clark, Diana and all the rest, but he just couldn't be around anyone now. Dick had tried, but he was too deep in the same sorrow Bruce was experiencing.

Bruce knew already it would never get better. Scar tissue might form, but the wound would never heal. Some just don't. His boy was dead and nothing would ever make that right. He would push on because the mission demanded it, but some of the hope he'd always desperately tried to nurture was lost forever. The darkness just seemed to grow, no matter what he did.

* * *

Gotham

Helena sat in front of the grave, the tombstone giving the facts but only the minimal facts. She'd brought flowers, because that's what you do, but it felt like an empty gesture. Emotions churned inside of her but she didn't know what to do with them. So she just sat here alone, crying.

When she first arrived at the graveyard she had been surprised to see Clark. They spoke briefly, but he seemed to know she wanted to be alone. Helena knew he was here for the same reason and probably like her didn't know what else to do. Helena wiped away the tears, even though more came and read the tombstone again. Damian Wayne, the dates of his birth and death and the legend across the bottom. She knew it was meant to be a marker for a life, but in reality it was a symbol of a death. More tears came.

"So you're back?"

Helena turned to see Selina walking towards her.

"Um, ah, yeah,' she managed to say, surprised by her appearance.

"Good to see you,' Selina offered. "Wish it was under better circumstances."

"Me too."

Selina wasn't really sure what do say or do. This wasn't her daughter and she most certainly didn't know how act as a mother, but she felt a connection with Helena. It made no sense to her, but since hearing who her mother was it was something Selina couldn't shake.

She slipped down to sit next to Helena. Selina didn't have any words of wisdom to offer. She really didn't know the boy very well and didn't especially like him. She wasn't so unfeeling though that she didn't understand the tragedy of it all. A young life had been snuffed too early. Even a _hardened cat burglar_ understood the horror of that.

She had thought to go to Batman, but somehow knew it wasn't the time. As complicated as their relationship was, Selina knew this was a deeply personal and private moment for him. She wouldn't intrude on it. So unsure what else to do she came here. Seeing Helena had touched something in her and while she didn't have the words, she did what she could. Slowly she stretched her arm out around Helena's shoulders and gently pulled her close. Helena rested her head on Selina's shoulder and cried. They sat there along time in silence.

* * *

New York

The day was ending. The sun was just slipping below the horizon. Karen stood at the windows looking out over the city. The people moving around so far below seemed almost like a metaphor for her life. She had so few people close to her and that didn't seem like it would change. Slowly she opened the windows, something you weren't supposed to do this high up. She felt the warm breeze against her skin and had no fear of falling. Even if she did, no one would catch her and she would just move on from it.

Five years she had desperately struggled to get away from this world only to realize too late this was where she wanted to be all along.

"You're not going to jump are you?"

And then he was there, right in front of her.

Clark.

Karen's heart leapt in her chest at the sight of him.

"How? I mean, how did you know?" She managed to ask.

He smiled at her.

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice another Kryptonian on this planet?"

It was the repeat of the first thing he'd ever said to her and in the moment Karen wanted nothing more than to leap into his arms and never let him go. She had to let him know though, before anything else she had to tell him.

"I've made so many mistakes between us, Clark and I did something things that can never be undone since I last saw you."

His smile softened a bit.

"I know, Helena told me everything, Karen,' he replied. "I don't know if what you did was right or wrong, but I'm not going to judge you."

"What are you going to do?" She nervously asked, almost too afraid of the answer.

"I guess that's up to you,' he replied.

In the next moment Karen leaped from the window and into his arms. She kissed him with all the love and desire she felt in her heart for him and he returned it. It was a leap of faith into an uncertain future, but it was the first step they were making together.

* * *

A/N : And that's where this one ends. It never felt like a story that should have a neat, happy ending so I didn't give it one. You are free to imagine what happens next for yourself. Ship it anyway you want. ;)

Thanks to everyone that read it and a special thanks to everyone that read and reviewed it. I did read them all and appreciate all of them. Thank you.


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